New Madrid County is named for Madrid, the capital of Spain.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Stoddart County and Scott County
E – Mississippi County, Fulton County, Kentucky and Lake County, Tennessee
S – Pemiscot County
W – Dunklin County and Stoddart County
Created: October 1, 1812
County Seat:
New Madrid 1812 – 1814
Big Prairie 1814
Rossville 1814 – 1819
Winchester 1819 – 1822
New Madrid 1822 – present
County Courthouse – New Madrid
Location: 450 Main Street / Virginia Avenue
Built: 1915 – 1919
Style: Greek Revival
Architect: H G Clymer of St. Louis
Contractor: Interstate Building and Construction Company
Description: The building faces east and is a two story gray colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of New Madrid. The building is 107 feet by 75 feet. The east front has a large portico supported by two large columns which rise to a pediment at the roof line and on each there are eight strings of three opened cotton bolls hanging from the scrolling volutes at the top of the column. These strands of bolls are the only “local” architectural detail added to the otherwise very classical design of the building Cotton is still grown in New Madrid County. The entrance is recessed. The roof is sloped. In the interior is a central rotunda extending up to a circular stained glass skylight at the top of the second story. The stained glass features interlocking vines with red roses and stylized stems and leaves that are framed and accented by tortoiseshelled-colored glass. Stairs ascend to the second story. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the east side of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 34th Judicial Circuit. W W Taylor of Cape Girardeau completed the interior work.
See: The 34th Judicial Circuit includes Pemiscot County
History: The county was created in 1812 and New Madrid was selected as the county seat. In 1814, the county seat was moved to Big Prairie and then to Rossville where the jail, a log structure was built in 1817 and served as the first courthouse. In 1819, the county seat was moved to Winchester and the second courthouse, another log structure was built. In 1822, the county seat was returned to New Madrid and the third courthouse, a frame structure was built in 1822 and later sold in 1854. The fourth courthouse was built under the supervision of T J O Morrison in 1854 at a cost of $2,750 and was destroyed by fire on September 24, 1905. The county offices were housed in various buildings until the construction of the fifth and present courthouse began in 1915. Due to World War I and the labor force being reduced, W W Taylor, a master builder from Cape Girardeau, superintended finished the interior work, which was completed in January 1919. The cost of construction of the courthouse was $100,000.
County Courthouse – New Madrid
County Circuit Court courtroom
Picture 1854 County Courthouse
Photos taken 2009 and 2026
Images 16*