Amite County is named for the Amite River which flows through the county and whose name means “friendly”.
Surrounding County and Parish Courthouses:
N – Franklin County and Lincoln County
E – Pike County
S – Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana and Saint Helena Parish, Louisiana
W – Wilkinson County
Created: February 24, 1809
County Seat:
Liberty 1809 – present
County Courthouse – Liberty
Location: 243 West Main Street / South Broad Street
Built: 1839 – 1840
Style: Antebellum
Architect: William C Harrell
Contractor: Robert Stewart Jr.
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick and wood structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Liberty. The north front has a large porch on the first and second stories. There is a sloped green colored roof. On the center of the roof is a small octagonal white colored cupola with green colored roof. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 6th Judicial District, County Chancery Court, Couth Youth Court and County Justice Court. On the east side and west side are new wings. The additions were constructed in 1937 to 1938 under the Works Project Administration. A further addition was made in 1969. An addition was constructed in 1974 and 1975. The architect was Ragland Watkins Architects of McComb and the contractor was Carter and Mullings, Inc. of Columbia. The building was renovated in 1999. The architect was Watkins & Cox and the contractor was Paul Jackson & Son Inc. of Brookhaven. The building was further renovated in 2015. The architect was Waycaster Associates of Natchez and the contractor was Smith Painting & Contracting, Inc. of Hattiesburg.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Amite County Courthouse
See: Mississippi has five functioning antebellum courthouses located in Adams County, Clairborne County, Hinds County – Raymond and Monroe County.
History: The county was created in 1809 and Liberty was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a log structure built in 1812. The second and present courthouse was built in 1841 and is the oldest courthouse in Mississippi which is still in use and which has not been substantially altered. The courthouse in Adams County is the oldest having been constructed in 1819 to 1821, but the building has been substantially altered from the original structure.
County Courthouse – Liberty
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2011 and 2019
Images 19*