Holmes County is named for Thomas J Holmes, who was a settler from North Carolina, who arrived in 1830 or from Holmes Creek.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Geneva County, Alabama
E – Jackson County
W – Walton County
Created: January 8, 1848 
County Seat:
Hewitt Bluff 1848 – 1861
Cerro Gordo 1861 – 1894
Westville 1894 – 1905
Bonifay 1905 – present
County Courthouse – Bonifay
Location: 201 North Oklahoma Street / East Virginia Avenue
Built: 1963 – 1964
Style: Modern
Architect: Look & Morrison
Contractor: Dyson & Company
Description: The building faces east and is a two story concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds and the east front and the south side have one story vertical concrete pillars with recessed windows and a recessed central entrance on the east side. The south section rises higher that the rest of the building. The roof line is flat. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtroom is located in the center of the building. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 14th Judicial Circuit and County Court.
See: The 14th Judicial Circuit includes Bay County, Calhoun County, Gulf County, Jackson County and Washington 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 1848 and the first county seat was Hewitt Bluff. The first courthouse was erected in 1848. The name was changed to Cerro Gordo in 1861 and the courthouse burned in 1870. Court met outside until the second courthouse was built in 1889. In 1894, the courthouse building was moved to Westville and the courthouse burned in 1902. The county seat was moved to Bonifay in 1905. The third courthouse was a two story frame structure built in 1907. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1963 to 1964.
County Courthouse – Bonify
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2009 and 2018