Blaze Consumes 15 Acres ... Downtown & Courthouse Destroyed

Blaze Consumes 15 Acres ... Downtown and Courthouse Destroyed. On January 4, 1841, Commissioners John H. Poston, G. A. Henry, H. F. Beaumont, James McClure, James Reasons, Joseph Johnson, and Thomas W. Frazier were authorized to purchase a lot and contract for the building of the county's third Courthouse. On March 2, 1841, several commissioners declined to serve and their replacements were appointed. Taxes for the construction of the 1843 Courthouse were an additional 10 cents on each $100 of taxable property and 50 cents on every white poll., The building, to bc located between First and Second Streets, was an elevated lot facing Franklin Street and extending back to Strawberry Alley (now Legion Street), opposite Carlisle Street. Cn April 2, 1843, a committee was appointed to contract for building a stone wall fronting the Courthouse and a fence on Strawberry Alley., Apparently, no provisions had been made to incorporate the Courthouse bell in the new structure. On January 1, 1844, Samuel McFall was ordered to move the Courthouse bell from the old Courthouse to the lot of the new Courthouse and "to construct a suitable house to contain the bell." Repairs continued to be necessary for on August 4, 1845, the court ordered that the roof of the Courthouse be "patched where there is now a leak" using "not more than ten shingles.", This third Courthouse was destroyed when the great fire of April 13, 1878 consumed 15 acres of downtown Clarksville. The fire, attributed to an arsonist but never proven, started in Kincannon's Tin and Queensware Store on the south side of Franklin Street between First and Second Streets. The more important records of the Courthouse were saved and county offices were temporarily relocated., Immediate plans were made to secure a more desirable location for the county's fourth Courthouse as Franklin Street had become too congested. The Franklin Street property was divided into five plots and sold on May 20, 1878. The final decision for the new location was to purchase four lots, bounded by Second, Commerce and Third Streets and the property of Bryce Stewart on the north. The greater portion of the property was purchased from Mrs. Jennie Johnson, with small sections from Andrew Ewing, John D. Bailey and Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Whitfield, for a total of $15,700., A Board of Commissioners composed of C. W. Tyler, Chairman, C. G. Smith, W. S. Mallory, G. H. Slaughter and Griffin Orgain, was appointed to plan the new structure. Later Isaac P. Howard replaced C. G. Smith. During construction of the building, court was held in the former Baptist Church (since razed) located on the southeast corner of the property., Captions: , Left: The Courthouse, constructed of brick in 1843, lies in ruins on Franklin Street. , Right: A view from Second Street looking toward Trinity Episcopal Church shows a portion of the damage from the 15 acre fire.