Columbia County is named for Christopher Columbus, who was the explorer who discovered America.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Echols County, Georgia and Clinch County, Georgia
E – Baker County, Union County and Alachua County
S – Alachua County and Gilchrist County
W – Suwannee County and Hamilton County
Created: February 4, 1832 
County Seat:
Aligator 1832 – 1859
Lake City 1859 – present
County Courthouse – Lake City
Location: 173 NE Hernando Avenue / East Duval Street
Built: 1906 – 1907
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Frank Pierce Milburn of Columbia, South Carolina
Contractor: Henry W Otis of Kingston, New York
Description: The building faces west and is a three story brown colored brick and buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Lake City. The west front has a portico with three arches on the first story and four columns rising from the second story to the top of the third story with pediment at the roof line. On the center of the roof is an octagonal cupola with clock and smaller cupola at the top. In the interior there are four courtroom located on the second story. The main County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the west side of the second story and has a balcony on the third story. The building houses the Circuit Court of the 3rd Judicial Circuit and County Court. An addition was added on the east side in 2003. The architect was Saxelby Architecture, Inc and the contractor was Contex Rooney Construction Company.
See: The architect Frank Pierce Milburn of Washington, DC.
See: The 3rd Judicial Circuit includes Dixie County, Hamilton County, Lafayette County, Madison County, Suwannee County and Taylor County.
See: The county is located in the First Judicial District of the Court of Appeal – First Judicial District located in Tallahassee.
History: The county was created in 1832 and Alligator was selected as the county seat. The county officers met in the home of John W Roberts. The first courthouse was a two-room log structure built after 1832. The courthouse burned in 1848. The second courthouse built in 1848, also burned in 1860. In 1859, the name of the county seat was changed to Lake City. The third courthouse was a two-room log structure built on the northwest corner of what is now Olustee Park in 1859. The courthouse burned in 1874. The court met in the Cleveland Opera House until the fourth courthouse was built in 1882 on the southwestwest corner of what is now Olustee Park. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1906 to 1907 at a cost of $35,000.
County Administration Building – Lake City
Location: 135 NE Hernando Avenue / East Duval Street
Built: 1931 – 1932
Style: Modern Classical Revival
Architect: James A Wetmore
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces west and is a two story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Lake City to the south of the courthouse.. The center of the west front has a colonnade of arches on the first story the north and south wings project from the main building. The first story windows are arched and there is trim along the corners and around the windows. The roof is hipped. The building was constructed as as a Post Office.
County Courthouse – Lake City
County Circuit Court courtroom
County Administration Building – Lake City
Photos taken 2009 and 2023