Summers County Courthouse

Summers County Courthouse. . After Summers County was formed in 1871, the county needed a courthouse. The first being used as a courthouse was a Baptist Church located two miles north of the New River. The courthouse then moved to the second floor of Cameron Lewis Thompson printing shop in Avis until it caught fire in 1875. Afterwards, the courthouse moved into the attic of John H. Pack's storehouse opposite Hinton Island. , , In 1873 Architect Frank Pierce Milburn designed a two-story courthouse with a hipped rood, tour octahedral towers, six offices, courtroom and jury rooms. Disagreements regarding the location of the courthouse ensued. Dr. John G. Manser and E.B. Meador wanted the courthouse built at Foss while Evan Hinton and his friends favored Avis. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway stepped in and offered to give three acres of land for public use if the county courthouse was located in Hinton. With little objection, the new courthouse was built at the current location on Ballengee Street. , , The commissioners hired Colonel John C. McDonald of Fayetteville, WV in 1875 to build the courthouse for $10,500. The courthouse was constructed of brick burned from clay on site and the timbers and lumber came from Hinton Island. In 1876, the courthouse was completed except for the four octahedral towers. The total cost to build the courthouse was $14,000. , , It wasn't until 1898, due to funding shortages, that the four octahedral towers were added to the courthouse. A slate roof was also added at this time. , , By 1925, the county had grown and the courthouse needed to be enlarged. Charleston architect, R.L. Whitten was hired to design the new addition doubling its size. The addition contained a hall, five rooms on each floor, and a slate roof. Two large octahedral towers were also built at each corner of the building. , , A final addition was added in 1940 between the courthouse and the Memorial Building. This addition included vaults for county records and office space for state-county bureaus. The addition has a flat roof and no towers. , , In 2012, the County Commission began historic restorations to repair, protect, and preserve the architecture of the Summers County Courthouse. Initially the courthouse turret roofs were replaced as well as the related cornice trim and finial. Contactors removed the red exterior paint as part of the ongoing masonry restoration and preservation effort. Plans include window restoration, electrical, data and phone upgrades as well as courtroom remodeling to meet today's security and technological requirements while maintaining the historic features of the structure. , , The Summers County Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.