Polk County is named for James Knox Polk, who was the eleventh President of the United States of America.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Scott County
E – Montgomery County and Howard County
S – Howard County and Sevier County,
W – McCurtain County, Oklahoma and Le Flore County, Oklahoma
Created: November 30, 1844 
County Seat:
Dallas 1844 – 1898
Mena 1898 – present
County Courthouse – Mena
Location: 507 Church Avenue / Mena Street
Built: 1939 – 1940
Style: Art Deco
Architect: Haralson and Mott of Fort Smith
Contractor: Works Progress Administration ( local labor )
Description: The building faces southeast and is a two story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Mena. The southeast front has a concrete framed entrance on the first story with an entablature ornamented with a round emblem containing the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas. Large vertical brick dividers separate the windows. On the second story, the windows are vertical. There are north and south wings. Above is a wide header. The roof line is flat. The interior has stairways at either end of the central section. The County Circuit Court courtroom located on the second story has a coffered ceiling and zig-zag decorative dado. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the West 18th Judicial Circuit and the County District Court of the 24th Judicial Circuit. On the north side is a two story buff colored brick addition.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Polk County Courthouse
See: The 18th Judicial Circuit includes Montgomery County,
History: The county was created in 1844 and Dallas was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built in Dallas in 1844 and burned. The second courthouse was built in 1869 and also burned in 1883. The county seat was moved to Mena in 1898. The third courthouse was a two story brick structure designed by Joseph Heldrick and constructed in 1898. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1939 to 1940.
County Courthouse – Mena
County Circuit Court courtroom
Picture 1868 County Courthouse in Dallas
Picture 1889 County Courthouse in Mena
Photos taken 2010 and 2025
Images 12*