Morgan County | US Courthouses

Morgan County is named for Daniel Morgan, who was a United States Congressman.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Limestone County and Madison County

E – Marshall County

S – Cullman County

W – Lawrence County

Created: February 8, 1818

County Seat:

Somerville 1818 – 1891

Decatur 1891 – present

County Courthouse – Decatur

Location: 302 Lee Street NE / Line Street NE

Built: 1975 – 1976

Style: Modern

Architect: Walter Hickman Hall of Hall and Colvard

Contractor: Gresham, Williams, and Johnson company of Decatur

Description: The building faces northeast and is a four story concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Decatur. The northeast front has a recessed porch on the second and third stories with steps on either side. The first story has glass walled entrances. The top story has vertical dividers between the windows. The building has a flat roof line. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 8th Judicial Circuit and the County District Court and County Probate Court.

Old County Courthouse – Decatur

Location: 402 Oak Street / Cain Street

Built: 1887 – 1888

Style: Federal

Architect: John T Banks

Contractor: John T Banks

Description: The building faces west and is a two story red colored brick and wood structure. The building is located in the center of Decatur to the northwest of the courthouse and was constructed as a drug store and served as the courthouse from 1891 to 1894. The west front of the rectangular building has a central entrance with vertical windows on either side which are framed and recessed. The roof line is flat. The building is names as the John T Banks Building and now houses offices. In 2000 to 2002, the building was renovated by Ronald Terry and Joyce Terry of Decatur.

Old County Courthouse – Somerville

Location: 24 Courthouse Square / Broad Street

Built: 1837

Style: Federal

Architect: Unknown

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces north and is a two story two red colored brick and wood structure. The building is located in Courthouse Square surrounded by landscaped grounds in the center of Somerville. The north front has a central entrance with white colored wood frame. On the center of the roof is a square white colored wood cupola with hexagonal section and dome at the top. The roof is hipped.

Note: The courthouse in Somerville is the oldest original courthouse in Alabama. Special taxes were levied by the Alabama legislature in 1836 to pay for the construction. After 1891, the building was used as a school and is presently used for meetings of the Somerville Town Council.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Somerville Courthouse

History: The county was created in 1818 and Somerville was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built in Somerville 1825 and the second courthouse was built in 1837 which is still standing. The third courthouse was built by John T Banks in Decatur in 1887 and became the courthouse in 1891 when the county seat was moved. The fourth courthouse was designed by W Chamberlain & Company of Knoxville, Tennessee and constructed by Lawrenson & Wallen in 1892 to 1894. The building was renovated in 1918. The architect was Harry Frahn of Nashville, Tennessee and the supervisor of construction was J W Frahn. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1926. The fifth courthouse was designed by Bem Price and constructed in 1928. The courthouse was demolished in 1976 when the sixth and present courthouse was completed.