Catawba County is named for the Catawba Native American Nation and the Catawba River.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Caldwell County and Alexander County
E – Iredell County
S – Lincoln County
W – Burke County
Created: December 12, 1842 
County Seat:
Newton 1842 – present
Old County Courthouse – Newton
Location: 30 North College Avenue / East 1st Street
Built: 1924 – 1925
Style: Neo-Classical
Architect: Willard G Rogers of Charlotte
Contractor: J J Stout
Description: The building faces east and is a two story light brown colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Public Square in the center of Newton. The building is faced with Indiana limestone and is composed of two wings flanking a main block. On the exterior are Ionic columns dividing the second story arched windows. Along the roof line is a balustrade. There are lower north and south windows. The east and west entrances are surmounted by an entablature displaying the seal of justice on a center cartouche. In the interior, the north entrance has a sweeping staircase, with marble treads and risers, and is embellished with a brass rail supported by spiraling iron balusters. Above the stair, a rectangular stained-glass sky light, set in a deep molded frame enriched with delicate anthemia, is located before the second story courtroom. The courtroom has Corinthian pilasters, each with reliefs of Blind Justice (the Roman goddess Justitia, from the Greek forerunner Themis), and other ornaments reminiscent of Federal style Roman forms.
See: The courtrooms of late Neo-Classicism are particularly noteworthy; they are the most handsome of any era. Harry Barton’s Guilford County Courthouse, Catawaba County Courthouse (1924), and the Haywood County Courthouse (1932), both designed by Willard G Rogers of Charlotte, have courtrooms sumptuously decorated with plaster and woodwork employing many allegorical symbols of justice and elegant classical motifs.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Catawba County Courthouse
County Justice Center – Newton
Location: 100 Government Drive / Southwest Boulevard
Built: 1977 – 1979
Style: Modern
Architect: Clemmer-Bush-Sills-Abernethy Inc.
Contractor: Laxton Construction Company Inc.
Description: The building faces northeast is a two story gray colored concrete and glass structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the County Government Center on the west side of the center of Newton. The east front has a recessed first story with glass central entrance. The second story has vertical dividers in the central section. Vertical pillars rise to a wide overhang at the flat roof line. The building houses the County Superior Court and County District Court of the 25th Judicial District. The building was expanded in 2018 to 2019 with the addition of wings on the north, east and south sides leaving the original building in the center. The architect was Little Diversified Architectural and the contractor was Hickory Construction Company.
See: The 25th Judicial District includes Burke County and Caldwell County.
History: The county was created in 1842 and Newton was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a brick structure built in 1844 in Newton. Wings were added in 1904. In 1924 to 1925, the second courthouse was constructed at a cost of $250,000. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1977 t0 1979.
County Government Center – Newton
Location: 25 Government Drive / Radio Station Road
Built: 1989 – 1990
Style: Modern
Architect: Clemmer-Bush-Sills-Abernethy Inc.
Contractor: Hickory Construction Company
Description: The building faces southwest and is a two story concrete and glass structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the County Government Center on the west side of the center of Newton to the east of the County Justice Center. The west front has a V shaped section with a glass central entrance having two columns rising to a wide overhang at the flat roof line.
County Courthouse – Newton
County Justice Center – Newton
County Administration – Newton
Photos taken 2012