Jones County is named for John Paul Jones, who was a naval fighter during the American Revolutionary War and who lived from 1747 to 1792.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Smith County and Jasper County
E – Wayne County
S – Perry County and Forrest County
W – Covington County
Created: January 24, 1826
County Seat:
Ellisville 1826 – 1906
Ellisville 1906 – present (First Judicial District)
Laurel 1906 – present (Second Judicial District)
* Jones County has two county seats
County Courthouse – Ellisville
Location: 101 North Court Street / West Holly Street
Built: 1908 – 1909
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Penn Jeffries Krouse
Contractor: W M Norris and Frank Gardner
Description: The building faces west and is a two story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The square shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Ellisville. The west front has a projecting porch with four columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. A horizontal belt runs below the projecting cornice below the roof line. There are stone trim and small pediments above the windows. On the north and south sides are large porches with two high columns rising to the top of the second story. There are wide balconies on the second story. The roof line is flat. The interior is arranged around a T-shaped hallway. There are double staircases with marble treads and risers and a decorative iron balustrade and square paneled newel posts. There is marble wainscoting and baseboards. The County Circuit Court courtroom occupies the center of the second story and has the original curving balcony wall with decorative plaster details in a floral garland design. The building houses the First District – County Circuit Court of the 18th Judicial District, County Chancery Court, County Court and County Justice Court.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Jones County Courthouse (Ellisville)
Note: The courthouse is almost identical to the courthouse in Laurel as both courthouses were constructed at the same time. The cornerstone of the Laurel courthouses shows the date July 4, 1907 and the cornerstone Ellisville courthouse shows the date July 4, 1908.
County Courthouse – Ellisville
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2012 and 2017
Images 11*