Lafayette County is named for Marquis de Lafayette, who was a French military hero who aided the American Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Madison County and Suwannee County
E – Suwanneee County and Gilchrist County
S – Dixie County
W – Taylor County
Created: December 23,1856 
County Seat:
Fayetteville 1856 – 1857
New Troy 1857 – 1893
Mayo 1893 – present
County Courthouse – Mayo
Location: 120 West Main Street / Fletcher Avenue
Built: 1908 – 1909
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Edward Columbus Hosford & Company of Atlanta, Georgia
Contractor: Mutual Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky
Description: The building faces south and is a two story white colored brick, wood, limestone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Mayo. The south front has a recessed porch supported by two large columns rising to a header at the roof line. On the center of the roof is a large square white colored clock tower with open arched windows and with the clock and small dome above. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtroom is located at the center of the south side of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 3rd Judicial Circuit and County Court. An addition was added in 1967. The architect was Harry Burns and Associates and the contractor was Tharp Construction Company, Inc. The addition was remodeled and enlarged in 2003. The architect was Clemons Rutherford & Associates, Inc. and the contractor was Peter R Brown Construction. The Clock Tower was restored in 2021. The architect was Clemons Rutherford & Associates, Inc.
See: The architect, Edward Columbus Hosford of Atlanta, Georgia..
See: The contractor, Mutual Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky, constructed courthouses in Baker County, Jefferson County, Pasco County and Polk County; and in Georgia in Harris County.
Note: The courthouse was built of Indiana limestone. Because there was no railroad into Lafayette County, the limestone and other materials were shipped by rail to O’Brien in Suwannee County and then transported by wagon to Mayo, crossing the Suwannee River via Grant’s Ferry north of Troy Springs.
Old County Courthouse – Mayo
Location: 136 Fletcher Avenue / Bloxham Street
Built: 1893 – 1894
Style: Plantation
Architect: W T Dees
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces west and is a two story white colored wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Mayo to the north of the courthouse. The roof is hipped. A two-story veranda was added on three sides after it was moved across the street in 1907 to make way for the present courthouse. The building is an inn called the Chateau.
See: The 3rd Judicial Circuit includes Columbia County, Dixie County, Hamilton 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 1856 and Fayetteville was selected as the county seat. The first court met at the home of Aziel Jones. The county seat was moved to New Troy and the first courthouse, a two story wood structure was erected in New Troy after 1857. The courthouse was moved to higher ground in 1863 but was destroyed by fire in 1892. The county seat was moved to Mayo in 1892 and the second courthouse was constructed in 1893 to 1894 and is still standing. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1908 to 1909 at a cost of $47,000.
County Courthouse – Mayo
County Circuit Court courtroom
Commissioners Meeting Room
Photos taken 2009 and 2023