Chariton County is named for the Chariton River which river was named after Joseph Chorette, a French fur trader from St, Louis.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Linn County and Macon County
E – Macon County, Randolph County and Howard County
S – Saline County
W – Saline County, Carroll County and Livingston County
Created: November 16, 1820
County Seat:
Old Chariton 1821 – 1833
Keytesville 1833 – present
County Courthouse – Keytesville
Location: 306 South Cherry Street / West Jackson Street
Built: 1974 – 1975
Style: Modern
Architect: Carroll Hutcheson
Contractor: Irvinbilt Company of Chillicothe
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick and cement structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Keytesville. The north front has a small portico at the entrance. The windows are vertical. The south end of the building is higher and wider with a small portico on the west and east sides and a small cupola in the center of the peaked roof. The main entrance is located at the center of the west side. The main hallway runs north-south with the County Circuit Court courtroom located at the south side of the first story. There is a small courtroom located on the west side of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Circuit..
See: The 9th Judicial Circuit includes Linn County and Sullivan County.
History: The county was created in 1820 and Old Chariton was selected as the county seat in 1821 when the county was organized. Courts were held in different buildings. The county seat was moved to Keytesville in 1833. The first courthouse was a two story brick structure built in 1833 and destroyed by fire on September 20, 1864. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure built at a cost of $40,000 by Levi Aldrich in 1866 with interior work done by Mitchel and Wagner in 1867. The building was destroyed by fire on August 27, 1973. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1974 to 1975 at a cost of $725,000.
County Courthouse – Keytesville
County Circuit Court courtroom
County Circuit Court small courtroom
Picture 1866 County Courthouse
Photos taken 2009 and 2026
Images 18*