Hayesville in Clay County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Historic Clay County Courthouse
Beal Center
Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 8, 2019
1. Historic Clay County Courthouse Marker
Renovated 2018
[Second plaque]
has been placed on the
National Register
of
Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the
Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Law Enforcement. A significant historical year for this entry is 1888.
Location. 35° 2.747′ N, 83° 49.069′ W. Marker is in Hayesville, North Carolina, in Clay County. It is on Herbert Street east of Main Street (Business U.S. 64), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 25 Herbert St, Hayesville NC 28904, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Mountains. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fort Hembree (within shouting distance of this marker); In Memory Our War Dead (within shouting distance of this marker); A Tribute to Traditional Music (within shouting distance of this marker); A Tribute To Our Quilting Heritage (within shouting distance of this marker); George W. Truett (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cherokee Culture (about 700 feet away); Cherokee Communities of the Upper Hiwassee River Valley (about 700 feet away); Cherokee Winter House (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hayesville.
Regarding Historic Clay County Courthouse. Excerpt from the National Register nomination:
On November 4, 1889, it was recorded that J. S. Anderson reported his contract completed and ready for inspection. The board agreed that each commissioner would choose some suitable citizen of the county to meet the next day at 9:00 A.M. to inspect the courthouse and make settlement as to any extra work done. The construction and extracosts of work ($559.50) were approved, making the total cost $7,799.50.Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 8, 20192. Historic Clay County Courthouse Marker
The county left the courthouse for a new one in 2007, gutting the old one's interior because it was in poor condition. A community organization spent years raising money to preserve, then restore, the old courthouse. It reopened in 2018 as the Beal Center, a special-events venue where weddings are held in the old courtroom, the tower room has become a bride's room, and the judge's chambers (with its private stairs to the courtroom) now are used by grooms.
Warren LeMay via Flickr/Public domain, January 8, 2019
3. Historic Clay County Courthouse Markers
via NPS, unknown
4. Clay County Courthouse
National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Photographed by Mark Parker, May 10, 2025
5. Clay County Courthouse stone on pavement in front of the building
Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 5, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 452 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 5, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on December 23, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 5. submitted on May 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.
