Pulaski County

US States / V-Z / Virginia / Pulaski County
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Pulaski County is named for Casimir Pulaski, who was a Polish patriot who helped train the American army during the Revolutionary War.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Giles County

E – Montgomery CountyRadford and Floyd County

S – Carroll County

W – Wythe County and Bland County

 

Created:  March 30, 1839                       Map of Virginia highlighting Pulaski County

County Seat: 

Newbern  1839 – 1895

Pulaski     1895 – present

 

Old County Courthouse – Pulaski

 

Location:  52 West Main Street / Washington Avenue

Built:  1895 – 1896

Style:  Richardsonian Romanesque

Architect:  W Chamberlin & Company of Knoxville, Tennessee

Contractor:  Miller & Warden of Pulaski

 

Description:  The building faces south and is a two story stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Pulaski,. The building is constructed of Peak Creek Sandstone and limestone. The south front has a large arched stone entrance on the first story. This entrance was constructed to serve as the entrance to the Pulaski County exhibit at the Jamestown Exposition in 1907. There is a triple pane window on the second story. On either side of the arch, rise stone pillars which extend above the roof line. The corners of the building have square stone towers with steep roofs. The second story has narrow arched windows. On the center of the roof is a high white cupola with clock and white colored dome at the top. The clock and the belfry were added in 1911. In the interior, there is a curved staircase. The former courtroom was located on the second story. After the fire in 1989, the interior was rebuilt in 1991 to 1992. The architect was Thomas A Douthat Jr. and the contractor was Avis Construction Company of Roanoke. On the north side is the modern courthouse constructed in 1957 to 1958.

 

Note:  On December 29, 1989 the Pulaski County Courthouse burned again with only the stone walls left standing. Many Pulaski County citizens were devastated by this fire. As in 1883 with the Newbern Courthouse burning, the issue of moving the county seat was again brought up. However, after much discussion and debate, the citizens voted by referendum to finance rebuilding the courthouse in Pulaski. Lower court was held for a short period of time at the Pulaski County Administration Building, Board Room, located at 143 Third Street in Pulaski. Once renovations were made to the Old Hub Furniture Building on Route 99 (1065 East Main Street) in Pulaski, the lower courts and the court offices were relocated to this location. The Commissioner of the Revenue and the Registrar’s Office were re-located to office space in the Old Dalton Building at 110 Washington Avenue in Pulaski.

 

See:  National Register of Historic Places – Pulaski County Courthouse

 

County Courthouse – Pulaski

 

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Location:  45 3rd Street NW / North Washington Avenue

Built:  1957 – 1958

Style:  Modern

Architect:  J J Williams – Architects & Engineers

Contractor:  Trinkle & Dobyns of Dublin

 

Description:  The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Pulaski on the north side of the old courthouse. The north front has a high rectangular opening with recessed entrance and glass wall. The roof line is flat. There are four courtrooms with the Circuit Court and Civil Court on the second story and the General District Court and Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on the first story. The building houses the County Circuit Court, County General District Court and County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of the 27th Judicial Circuit. The building was expanded and renovated in 1992 to 1995. The  architect was Thomas A Douthat Jr. and the contractor was Avis Construction Company of Roanoke

 

See:  The 27th Judicial Circuit includes Bland CountyCarroll County, Floyd County, GalaxGiles CountyGrayson County, Montgomery County,  Radford and Wythe County.

 

History:  The county was created in 1839 and Newbern was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was erected in Newbern in 1842. The County Jail was built in 1848 and is still standing at 5247 Wilderness Road (Hwy 611). The courthouse burned on November 27, 1893 and the county records were moved from the courthouse vault to the William J Wall brick store building on the north side of Main Street in Newbern. This building served temporarily as the county courthouse until the county seat was moved to Pulaski in 1895. The court met in the Macgill Building on the northeast corner of Washington Avenue and Third Street Northeast. The second courthouse was constructed in 1895 to 1896 at a cost of $25,000. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1957 to 1958 at a cost of $271,000.

 

County Administration Building – Pulaski

 

Location:  143 3rd Street / Randolph Avenue

Built:  1924 – 1925

Style:  School

Architect:  Unknown

Contractor:  Unknown

 

Description:  The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Pulaski on the west side of the courthouse. The building was originally the Pulaski High School and Pulaski Elementery School and became the County Administration Building in 1975. The north front has a large central portico with four columns rising to a wide pediment at the roof line.

 

 

 

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Old County Courthouse – Pulaski

 

 

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County Courthouse – Pulaski

 

 

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Photos taken 2012 and 2013