Sebastian County - American Courthouses

Sebastian County is named for William K Sebastian, who was a United States Circuit Court judge.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Crawford County

E – Franklin County and Logan County

S – Scott County

W – Le Flore County, Okahoma and Sequoyah County, Oklahoma

Created: January 6, 1851

County Seat:

Greenwood 1851 – 1858

Fort Smith 1858 – 1860

Greenwood 1860 – 1864

Fort Smith 1864 – 1865

Greenwood 1865 – 1868

Fort Smith 1868 – 1871

Greenwood 1871 – 1874

Greenwood 1874 – present ( Southern District )

Fort Smith 1874 – present ( Northern District )

* Sebastian County has two county seats

County Courthouse – Fort Smith

Location: 35 South Sixth Street / Rogers Avenue

Built: 1937– 1938

Style: Art Deco

Architect: E Chester Nelson of Bassham & Wheeler

Contractor: Manhattan Construction Company.

Description: The building faces northwest and is a four story white colored cut stone and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Fort Smith. The building has a raised basement. The northwest front has a central entrance framed with stone and projecting from the main building. The north and south wings project and are lower in height. The fourth story is recessed and has a decorative edge along the roof line. The interior is elaborate with a lobby directly behind the front entrance. The lobby walls are faced with marble and anchored by slightly projecting pilasters. The plaster ceiling is coffered and the floor at the intersection of the hallways has a large pattern of a star set into a circle. On the second story, the main County Circuit Court courtroom on the southwest side has cylindrical hanging lights of frosted glass and decorative metal. Also located on the second story at the center of northwest front is a small County Circuit Court courtroom and at the northeast side is the large Justices of the Peace / Quorum Court. This building was constructed under the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works and was constructed as the County Courthouse / City Hall.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Sebastian County Courthouse ( Fort Smith )

County Courts Building – Fort Smith

Location: 901 South B Street / South 10th Street

Built: 2006 – 2008

Style: Modern

Architect: Guest Reddick Architects of Fort Smith

Contractor: Beshears Construction, Inc. of Fort Smith.

Description: The building faces east and is a two story red brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Fort Smith to the south of the courthouse. The building forms an “L” shape with the north wing extending east from a high square red colored brick tower with entrance on the first story. The main west wing extends south. The green colored roof is mansard. The exterior features a corbelled brick cornice around the entire building and brick pilasters at the entry. These brick pilasters provide imagery of strength and define the entrance. In the interior, carpet tiles create a pattern throughout the public corridors and an ornate compass made of terrazzo covers the main lobby floor. There are five courtrooms on the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 12th Judicial District and the County District Court of the 6th Judicial District.

Old Federal Courthouse – Fort Smith

Location: 301 Parker Avenue / 3rd Street

Built: 1851

Style: Federal

Architect: United State Army

Contractor: United States Army

Description: The building faces southeast and is a two story red colored brick and wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the Fort Smith National Historic Site in the center of Fort Smith. The building became the courthouse in 1872 for the western Arkansas region. By 1890, the top floor was added to the old courthouse and the full porches were removed. In the interior is Judge Parker’s courtroom located on the north side of the second story.. The new courthouse on Sixth Street was located a few blocks away from the federal jail, so prisoners had to be taken by wagon to the courtroom.

History: The county was created in 1851 and Greenwood was selected as the county seat. Both Greenwood and Fort Smith became county seats in 1874. The court met in a number of mercantile buildings in Fort Smith. The first courthouse was a four story red colored brick structure with high clock tower designed by Nier & Byram and constructed by M J Brennan in 1886 to 1887. The building was remodeled by Jennings in 1910. The courthouse was demolished when the second and present courthouse was constructed in 1937 to 1938 at a cost of $462,804. The County Courts Building was constructed in 2006 to 2008.

County Courthouse – Greenwood

Location: 301 East Center Street / South Main Street

Built: 1968 – 1969

Style: Modern

Architect: Nelson, Laser, Cheyne

Contractor: Pharaoh Construction Company

Description: The building faces north and is a two story light red colored brick and concrete structure. The building ias located on landscaped grounds in the center of Greenwood. The north front has a large overhanging section supported by four pillars. The glassed entrance on the first story is recessed. The building has a number of square corner sections. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtroom is located along the north side of the second story. There is a small courtroom located on the east side of the first story entrance lobby. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 12th Judicial Circuit and the County District Court of the 6th Judicial Circuit. On the east side is the old County Jail built in 1882 by Isaack Kunkel.

History: The county was created in 1851 and Greenwood was selected as the county seat. Court was held in private residences. The first courthouse was a two story wood frame structure built in 1856 to 1857. In 1858, the county seat was moved to Fort Smith and returned to Greenwood in 1860. The county seat was again moved to Fort Smith in 1864 and returned to Greenwood in 1865. The county seat was moved to Fort Smith in 1868 and returned to Greenwood in 1871. In 1874 both Greenwood and Fort Smith became county seats. The second courthouse was built in 1882. The third courthouse was a two story red colored brick structure designed by A Klingensmith and constructed by T T Reddick in 1916. The red colored brick courthouse was damaged by a tornado in 1968. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1968 to 1969.