Columbia County is named for Columbia, which is a female personification of the United States of America.
Surrounding County and Parish Courthouses:
N – Nevada County and Ouachita County
E – Ouachita County and Union County
S – Claiborne Parish, Louisiana and Webster Parish, Louisiana
W – Lafayette County
Created: December 17, 1852
County Seat:
Magnolia 1852 – present
County Courthouse – Magnolia
Location: 101 South Court Square / Main Street
Built: 1905 – 1906
Style: Renaissance Revival
Architect: William S Hull
Contractor: B C Bynum Construction Company and J B Carr & Company
Description: The building faces east and is a three story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Magnolia. The foundation is rusticated stone. The east front has a large portico with three arches on the first story, balcony and six Corinthian columns on the second story with decorative pediment above. There is a wide cornice running below the flat roof line. In the center of the building is a round flat top dome. In the interior there is a central rotunda and the original wooden stairwell. The first story has a cross hall plan with arched hallways. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located at the center of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 13th Judicial Circuit.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Columbia County Courthouse
See: The 13th Judicial Circuit includes Calhoun County, Cleveland County, Dallas County, Ouachita County and Union County.
History: The county was created in 1852 and Magnolia was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a temporary log structure built immediately after the county formed in 1852. In 1856, a more permanent courthouse was built. In 1905 the third and present courthouse was constructed at a cost of $58,631.
County Courthouse – Magnolia
County Circuit Court courtroom
Picture 1905 Courthouse
Photos takes 2010. 2019 and 2025
Images 19*