Nevada County - American Courthouses

Nevada County is named for the State of Nevada, which is the Spanish name for “snow capped” from the first use of the name “Sierra Nevada”.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Pike County and Clark County

E – Ouachita County

S – Columbia County and Lafayette County

W – Hempstead County

Created: March 20, 1871

County Seat:

Mount Moriah 1871 – 1872

Rosston 1872 – 1877

Prescott 1877 – present

County Courthouse – Prescott

Location: 215 East 2nd Street / East Elm Street

Built: 1963 – 1964

Style: Modern

Architect: Weaver & Hiegel

Contractor: E W Johnson and Blaylock, Cook, Deitz & Associates

Description: The building faces northwest and is a one story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Prescott. The north front has a high overhang supported by four pillars and a recessed entrance. The windows have vertical white colored panels. The roof line is flat. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtroom is located in the center of the building. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the North 8th Judicial Circuit and the County District Court of the 38th Judicial Circuit. On the south side is the old County Jail.

See: The 8th Judicial Circuit includes Hempstead County, Lafayette County and Miller County.

History: The county was created in 1871 and Mount Moriah was selected as the county seat. The first court met in a church in Mount Moriah in 1871. In 1872, the county seat was moved to Rosston and in 1877 to Prescott. The first courthouse was a two story structure built in 1884. The second courthouse was a two story structure designed by Theo M Sanders and constructed by Falls City Construction Company in 1912. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1963 to 1964.