Perry County is named for Oliver Hazard Perry, who was a Commodore in the United States navy and who defeated the British in the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Bibb County
E – Chilton County and Dallas County
S – Dallas County and Marengo County
W – Marengo County and Hale County
Created: December 13, 1819
County Seat:
Prairie Ridge 1819 – 1824
Marion 1824 – present
County Courthouse – Marion
Location: Courthouse Square / Washington Street
Built: 1855 – 1856
Style: Greek Revival
Architect: B F Parsons
Contractor: James Didlake
Description: The building faces west and is a two story white colored brick and wood structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Marion. The south front has a wide porch with six large white colored columns and a balcony on the second story. There is a clock in the center of the pediment. Wings extend north and south and there is a pitched red roof. In the interior, the hallways have white colored tiles. The large County Circuit Court courtroom is located in the center of the second story. The seats rise towards the back of the courtroom. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 4th Judicial Circuit and the County District Court and County Probate Court. The building was renovated in 1954. The architect was Martin J Lide of Birmingham and the contractor was C W Williams Company, Inc.
See: Other antebellum courthouses in Alabama are located in Coosa County, Lowndes County and Saint Clair County.
See: The 4th Judicial Circuit includes Bibb County, Dallas County, Hale County and Wilcox County.
History: The county was created in 1819 and Prairie Ridge was the selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built in Prairie Ridge seven miles south of Marion after 1819. The county seat moved to Marion in 1823 and the second courthouse, a two story log structure was built. The third courthouse was a brick structure built in 1837. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1855 to 1856.
County Courthouse – Marion
County Circuit Court courtroom in 2010
County Circuit Court courtroom in 2023
Photos taken 2010