McCreary County is named for James McCreary, who was the Governor of Kentucky from 1912 to 1916.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Pulaski County and Laurel County
E – Whitley County
S – Campbell County, Tennessee and Scott County, Tennessee
W – Wayne County
Created: March 12, 1912
County Seat:
Whitley City 1912 – present
County Courthouse – Whitley City
Location: 1 North Main Street / Court Street
Built: 1952 – 1953
Style: Modern Colonial Revival
Architect: McCreary County Courthouse and Public Square Corporation
Contractor: McCreary County Courthouse and Public Square Corporation
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds on a hillside in the center of Whitley City. The east front has a one story portico supported by four white columns. The north and south sections are lower than the main centre building. On the center of the roof is a square white colored wood cupola with clock and a small cupola at the top. The building houses the County Circuit Court and County District Court of the 34th Judicial Circuit. An addition was added in 2001. The architect was Chrisman, Miller and Woodhouse, Inc. of Lexington and the contractor was Brewster Builders, Inc. of Oneida, Tennessee.
See: The 34th Judicial Circuit includes Whitley County.
History: The county was created in 1912 and Whitley City was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story wooden structure built in 1914. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1927. The second courthouse was built in 1928. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1951. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1952 to 1953 at a cost of $118,000.
County Courthouse – Whitley City
Picture First County Courthouse 1914
Picture Second County Courthouse 1928
Picture Third County Courthouse 1952
Photos taken 2007 and 2014
Images 15