Carter County

Carter County. . , Carter County was created in 1907 from part of the old Chickasaw Nation. Pickens County was renamed Carter County in honor of Ben Carter, prominent Native American of the Chickasaw Nation. , Members of the Constitutional Convention chose Ardmore as the county seat because it was the largest town in the part of the new state and the site of a federal court during the territorial era. , The first county officials used office space in the former federal courthouse building, which had been constructed in 1898 for $20,000. It soon proved to be too small for county needs, so in 1909 Carter County residents approved a $125,000 bond issue to purchase land and fund construction of a new building. , The firm of Soloman A. Layton, S. Wemyss Smith and Hawk of Oklahoma City developed the plans and the job was completed in 1910 by the Gill Construction Company. , The design was a rich combination of architectural elements. The dominant style was neo-classical, with repetitious use of colossal Doric columns, classical detailing, and an ornate tower and dome. The tower was decorated with Ionic columns, a ribbed and vaulted roof, and oversized clocks. Providing contrast against this classical composition were arched doorways and windows on the ground floor. , In 1976, using the design of Flood, Isenburg, and Hann, the entire courthouse was renovated.