Opelika in Lee County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Lee County Courthouse
⎯⎯⎯
Lee County Probate Judges
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 9, 2026
1. Lee County Courthouse Marker
An early Courthouse, built by Horace King, stood across the street from the present structure. In 1896. when W. C. Robinson was Probate Judge, erection of today's Courthouse began. Low bid was $23,000. Architect's fee was $1,000. Total bond issue, including the jail, was $35,000. The last bonds were paid off in the late 1930s. The building underwent a complete renovation in 1986-1987, and another, smaller one in the 2010s.
Lee County was created December 5, 1866
January 21, 1867 - August 10, 1872
Wilson Williams
August 1872 - November 1880
James K. Edwards
January 1881 - October 20, 1883
Thomas L. Frazer
November 2, 1883 - November 1886
William Carlisle Robinson
January 1887 - November 1898
Frank Monroe Renfro
January 1899 - November 1904
John B. Lyons
November 1904 - May 24, 1915
Griffin P. Butler
June 1, 1915 - November 28, 1932
Lum Duke
December 1932 - January 1935
John Thomas Frazer
January 15, 1935 - January 25, 1949
James Lewis Killian
February 1949 - November 1950
Ira H. Weissinger
November 11, 1950 - January 17, 1977
I.H. (Hal) Smith
January 18, 1977 - January 15, 2001
Bill English
January 16, 2001 - January 19, 2025
Jere F Colley, Jr.
January 20, 2025
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places July 23, 1973.
Erected 2025
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is January 21, 1867.
Location. 32° 38.756′ N, 85° 22.742′ W. Marker is in Opelika, Alabama, in Lee County. It is on South 9th Street south of Avenue A, on the right when traveling south. Located on the grounds of the Courthouse, on left of the building's entrance, under the U.S. Flag. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 215 S 9th St, Opelika AL 36801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Alabama and in Greater Columbus. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 9, 2026
2. Lee County Probate Judges Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Lee County Courthouse / Lee County Probate Judges (has been replaced with this marker).
Also see . . . County celebrates new historical marker. (The Observer) (Submitted on April 9, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 9, 2026
3. Lee County Courthouse with marker on left under U.S. Flag.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, April 9, 2026
4. View of marker looking southerly towards the First Baptist Church.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 9, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 20 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 9, 2026, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
