Orleans County is named for the city of Orleans in France.
Surrounding County and Canada Courthouses:
N – Quebec, Canada
E – Essex County
S – Caledonia County and Lemoille County
W – Franklin County
Created: November 5, 1792 
County Seat:
Craftsbury 1800 – 1812
Browington 1800 – 1812
Irasburg 1812 – 1886
Newport 1886 – present
County Courthouse – Newport
Location: 217 Main Street / 2nd Street
Built: 1885 – 1886
Style: Romanesque and Queen Anne Revival
Architect: Lambert Packard
Contractor: Matthew J Culbeck of St. Johnsbury
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick and wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Newport. The north front of the rectangular building has a projecting center section with large arched entrance on the first story. The center section rises to a pediment at the roof line with window and rising with a square base to a clock tower. The clock tower has arched windows with smaller section at the clop with the clock and steep roof. The foundation is rough cut granite and granite is used for the window sills and lintels. In the interior is the County Superior Court courtroom. The building houses the County Superior Court.
Note: On the south side of the courthouse are the old 1886 Jail designed by Lambert Packard and the 1903 Jail built by Pauly Jail Company of St. Louis, Missouri.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Orleans County Courthouse and Jail Complex
History: The county was created in 1792 and Craftsbury was selected as the county seat. The first county meeting was held at the residence of Dr. Samuel Huntington at Greensboro. The first courts met in Craftsbury and Brownington from 1800 to 1816. In 1812, the county seat was moved to Irasburg and the first courthouse was erected in 1815 and moved in 1847. The second courthouse was built in 1847 and burned in 1910. In 1886, the county seat was moved to Newport and the third and present courthouse was constructed in 1885 to 1886.
County Courthouse – Newport
County Superior Court courtroom
Photos taken 2014