Washington County is named for George Washington, who was the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Holmes County and Jackson County
E – Jackson County and Bay County
S – Bay County
W – Walton County
Created: December 9, 1825 
County Seat:
Vernon 1825 – 1927
Chipley 1927 – present
Former County Courthouse – Chipley
Location: 1293 Jackson Avenue / 3rd Street
Built: 1932 – 1933
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Frank Lockwood
Contractor: Sutton Brothers
Description: The building faced north and was a three story buff colored brick, stone and concrete structure. The building was located on landscaped grounds in the center of Chipley. The north front had a large porch with six large columns rising to a header at the top of the third story. The entrance was trimmed with stone. A wide cornice run below the flat roof line. The cornerstone from the 1896 courthouse in Vernon was located in the building. The courthouse was demolisged in 2014 when the present courthouse was constructed on the same site.
County Courthouse – Chipley
Location: 1293 Jackson Avenue / 3rd Street
Built: 2014 – 2016
Style: Modern
Architect: JRA Architects, Inc. of Tallahassee
Contractor: GAC Contractors of Panama City
Description: The building faces north and is a three story concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Chipley. The north front has six high columns rising to the roof line. The central entrance is recessed with glass walls rising to the third story. The exterior is a yellow color and a white colored belt runs around the building below the third story. At the flat roof line is a raised pediment on the north side. In the interior, the two County Circuit Court courtrooms are located on the third story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 14th Judicial Circuit and County Court.
See: The architect, JRA Architects, Inc. of Tallahassee also designed the County Government Center and the County Juvenile Justice Center in Bay County.
See: The 14th Judicial Circuit includes Bay County, Calhoun County, Gulf County, Jackson 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 1825 and Vernon was selected as the county seat. The first court met in local homes around Moss Hill near Vernon. The first courthouse was erected in 1849. The second courthouse was a brick structure built in 1896 to 1897. The building was three stories high and featured a tower and numerous fireplaces. The county seat was moved to Chipley in 1927. The third courthouse was constructed in 1929 to 1932. The courthouse was raised when the fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 2014 to 2016 at a cost of $9,200,000.
Former County Courthouse ( demolished ) – Chipley
Cornerstone 1896 Courthouse
County Courthouse – Chipley
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2009 and 2018