Grafton County - American Courthouses

Grafton County is named for Augustus Henry Fitzroy, who was the 3rd Duke of Grafton and a Prime Minister of Great Britain.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Essex County, Vermont and Coos County

E – Carroll County and Belknap County

S – Merrimack County and Sullivan County

W – Windsor County, Vermont, Orange County, Vermont and Caledonia County, Vermont

Created: March 19, 1771

County Seat:

Haverhill 1771 – 1889

Woodsville 1889 – 1972

North Haverhill 1972 – present

County Courthouse – North Haverhill

Location: 3855 Dartmouth College Highway

Built: 1969 – 1971

Style: Modern

Architect: E Verner Johnson- Robert N Hotvedt and Asssociates Inc

Contractor: H N Cumming Construction Company

Description: The building faces east. and is a three story red colored brick, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious grounds. The building has a north wing with glass panels and red colored brick along the north side. The south wing has glass panels and red colored brick along the north side and solid brick along the east front. The main entrance is recessed with gold colored glass panels on the second and third stories and recessed entrance on the first story. The roof line is flat.

Old County Courthouse – Haverhill

Location: 75 Court Street / School Street

Built: 1845 – 1846

Style: Greek Revival

Architect: Unknown

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces south and is a one story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Haverhill Center. The south front has a wide portico with four white colored columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. The rectangular shaped building has arched windows with green colored shutters and arched entrance on the south side. On the hipped roof is an octagonal white colored cupola with black colored dome. The building is named as “Alumni Hall”. The building served as the courthouse until 1891.

Note: The land was donated by Colonel Charles Johnson. The previous courthouse was Pearson Hall designed and built by Edmund Srevens in 1816. The building is located at School Street and Parish Lane opposite Haverhill Common in the center of the town. The court occupied the second story and Haverhill Academy occupied the first story.

Old County Courthouse – Woodsville

Location: 35 Court Street / Central Street

Built: 1889 – 1890

Style: Romanesque

Architect: C Willis Damon of Haverhill, Massachusetts

Contractor: S S Ordway

Description: The building faces east. and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Woodsville. The northeast corner has a large square red colored brick tower with steep roof. The east front has a projecting center section with arch entrance on the first story and with three arched windows on the second story. The center section rises to a peak at the roof line. The roof is hipped and the foundation is course stone. The building served as the courthouse until 1972 and presently stands as a residential building.

See: The architect, C Willis Damon of Haverhill, Massachusetts, also designed the courthouse in Plymouth.

History: The county was created in 1771 and Haverhill was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was designed and built by Edmund Stevens in Haverhill Center in 1816. The building stands as Pearson Hall or the Old Haverhill Academy Building. In 1846, the court was moved to the Alumni Building which also remains in Haverhill Center. The county seat was moved to Woodville in 1889.The third courthouse was built in 1889 to 1890. In 1972 the county seat was moved to North Haverhill. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1969 to 1971.

Other Branch Courthouses

Lebanon / Littleton / Plymouth