Lamar County is named for Lucius Q C Lamar, who was a United States Supreme Court justice.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Marion County
E – Marion County and Fayette County
S – Pickens County
W – Lowndes County, Mississippi and Monroe County, Mississippi
Created: February 4, 1867
County Seat:
Vernon 1867 – present
County Courthouse – Vernon
Location: 44690 Highway 17 – Pond Street / Columbus Avenue NE
Built: 1909 – 1910
Style: Classical Rival
Architect: Chamberlin & Company of Birmingham
Contractor: B C Bynum Construction Company of Birmingham
Description: The building faces west and is a three story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Vernon. The north and south sections of the west front project from the main building. The recessed center section has vertical windows with panels between The roof line is flat. The building houses the County Probate Court. The building was remodeled in 1948. The architect was William Rosamond and the contractor was Daniel Construction Company.
County Judicial Center – Vernon
Location: 330 1st Avenue SE / Columbus Avenue NE
Built: 1994 – 1995
Style: Modern
Architect: Johnson, Bailey, Henderson, McNeel, Inc
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces west and is two story brick and concrete structure. The building is located on the east side of the courthouse in the center of Vernon. The west front has a semi-circular central entrance with three columns rising from brick pedestals with peaked roof at the roof line. The lower part of the building is faced with red colored brick. And the upper part is a cream colored stucco. The center of the building rises to a hipped roof. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 24th Judicial Circuit and the County District Court.
Note: The cost of construction of the Judicial Center was $750,000.
See: The 24th Judicial Circuit includes Fayette County and Pickens County.
History: The county was created in 1867 and Vernon was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse built in 1870 for Sanford County which later became Lamar County developed leaks and cracks. In 1894 D S McClanhan of Columbus, Mississippi remodeled the building at a cost of $2,300. In 1909, the second courthouse was designed by Chamberlain and Company of Birmingham and the contractor was B C Bynum Construction Company of Birmingham.
County Courthouse – Vernon
County Judicial Center – Vernon
Photos taken 2010 and 2018