Crittenden County is named for John Jordan Crittenden, who was Governor of Kentucky from 1848 to 1850.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Hardin County, Illinois and Union County
E – Webster County
S – Caldwell County and Lyon County
Created: January 16, 1842
County Seat:
Marion 1842 – present
County Justice Center – Marion
Location: 107 South Main Street / West Belleville Street
Built: 2024 – 2026
Style: Modern
Architect: Sharman Carter Barnhardt
Contractor: Pinnacle Inc. of Benton
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 Marion. The main entrance is along the east side with a three arched portico on the first story. The roof is hipped with a square white colored cupola above the entrance. The building houses the County Circuit Court and County District Court of the 5th Judicial Circuit.
County Courthouse (demolished) – Marion
Location: 107 South Main Street / West Belleville Street
Built: 1960 – 1961
Style: Modern
Architect: Max W Bisson of Owensboro
Contractor: Jones & Morgan Construction Company, Inc. of Paducah
Description: The building faced east and was a two story red colored brick and concrete utilitarian structure. The building was located on landscaped grounds in the center of Marion. The main entrance was along the east side with a stone trimmed entrance with glass above the doorway. There were light stone panels between the vertical windows. The north and south wings were one story. The building was demolished in October 2024.
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See: The 5th Judicial Circuit includes Union County and Webster County.
History: The county was created in 1842 and Marion was selected as the county seat. The first county meeting was held at the home of Samuel Ashley and further meetings were held in the Brick Church near Marion. The first courthouse was a log structure erected in 1842. The second courthouse was brick structure erected in 1844 and was destroyed by General Lyon’s troops in January 1865. The third courthouse was built after the Civil War and the courthouse burned in May 1870. The fourth courthouse was designed by J K Kirk and built 1n 1871. The courthouse was torn down when the fifth courthouse was constructed in 1960 to 1961 at a cost of $176,000. The sixth and present courthouse was constructed in 2025 to 2026 at a cost of $20,000,000.
County Courthouse – Marion
County Courthouse vacated 2024
Photos taken 2007and 2024
Images 8