Columbus in Polk County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Polk County Courthouse
Photographed by Mark Parker, February 7, 2025
1. Polk County Courthouse Marker
Placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Erected by United States Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings.
Location. 35° 15.089′ N, 82° 11.898′ W. Marker is in Columbus, North Carolina, in Polk County. It can be reached from the intersection of Courthouse Square and East Mills Street (North Carolina Route 108), on the right when traveling north. The marker is to the right of the main courthouse entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: One Courthouse Square, Columbus NC 28722, 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,
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Polk County Bicentennial Memorial (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Polk County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Preserve our Freedom (within shouting distance of this marker); "Old Bill" Williams (within shouting distance of this marker); Polk County World War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. Columbus Mills (within shouting distance of this marker); 1765 - Sons of Liberty Flag (within shouting distance of this marker); Star Spangled Banner (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.
Regarding Polk County Courthouse. Excerpts from the Polk County Courthouse Nomination Form:
The Polk County Courthouse, completed in 1859 by builders Ephraim Clayton and George W. Shakelford, is the first and only permanent courthouse serving this western county. Praised by Thomas Watermanin The Early Architecture Of North Carolina, the courthouse is an imposing brick structure in dignified Greek Revival style, notable especially for its strong, simple classical detail and graceful double spiral stair.Photographed by Mark Parker, February 7, 20252. Polk County Courthouse rededication plaque from 2008
A law enacted by the General Assembly at its 1854-1855 session provided for the recreation of Polk County and ordered that John R. Logan of Cleveland County, Joseph Ervin of Burke County, and Benjamin Burgin of McDowell County be appointed commissioners "to lay off and locate the county seat of Polk County . . . upon which a town shall be laid off to be called Columbus, and on which the court house and public buildings shall be erected. ..." The law further provided that proceeds from the sale of town lots be used to finance construction of the new county's public buildings.
At its March, 1857, term, the Polk County Court received word from William S. Mills that the courthouse had been commissioned and was "progressing verry well" in spite of a bitter winter which had delayed the original completion date of the new jail. Mills also advised that Shakelford had been paid $4,999.13 on his contract. One year later Millsreported to the court that Clayton and Shakelford had been paid a total of $10,591.93 on their total contract price of $16,836, for "Building C_H & jail and for enclosing the public square /,/ for building Cupalo /and/ furnishing a bell for the Court House. ..."Photographed by Mark Parker, February 7, 20253. Polk County Courthouse Marker on the right of the main entrance
Clayton and Shakelford apparently completed their work by September, 1859, when a grand jury reported to the court that the new public buildings were "in good order." The building survives today in essentially its original state and continues to function as the county courthouse.
Also see . . . Polk County Courthouse Nomination Form (pdf). Form prepared by Survey and Planning Unit, North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1974 (Submitted on February 19, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)
Photographed by Mark Parker, February 7, 2025
4. Full front view of Polk County Courthouse
Credits. This page was last revised on March 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 19, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 110 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 19, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
