Inverness in Citrus County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Historic Citrus County Courthouse

Photographed By Julie Szabo, November 11, 2007

1. Historic Citrus County Courthouse Marker

Inscription. Citrus County was formed from Hernando County in 1887 and Mannfield, in the center of the new county, was chosen as the temporary county seat by the state legislature. After a political tug-of-war and several elections, Inverness was chosen as the permanent county seat in 1891. In June, 1911, the Board of County commissioners adopted a resolution to erect a new building to replace the Victorian style wood courthouse on the square. The 1912 Courthouse, designed by architect Willis R. Biggers, includes a copper cupola topped with a belvedere and constructed at a cost of $55,885. Its eclectic design incorporates features from four distinct architectural styles, Italian Renaissance, Neoclassical, Mission, and Prairie School. The building is uniquely situated on a square lot at 45 degree angles. It is historically significant because of its association with county government over eighty years. A restoration returning the building to its original appearance was funded with grants from the Division of Historical Resources, matching funds from the county, and fund raising efforts by the Citrus County Historical Society. The building was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1992.

Erected 2005 by Citrus County Board of County Commissioners and Florida Department of State. (Marker Number

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F-560.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1911.

Location. 28° 50.179′ N, 82° 19.812′ W. Marker is in Inverness, Florida, in Citrus County. Marker is at the intersection of W Main Street and S Apopka Avenue, on the left when traveling east on W Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Inverness FL 34450, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Valerie Theater (within shouting distance of this marker); 109 Courthouse Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Korean War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Military Order of the Purple Heart (within shouting distance of this marker); Korea and Viet Nam War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Dampier Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Persian Gulf War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Citrus County Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Inverness.

Also see . . . Old Courthouse Heritage Museum.
The yellow-brick structure which replaced the original 1892 wood structure, recently underwent restoration under supervision of the Citrus County Historical Society. After peeling off layer upon layer

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 22, 2009

2. Historic Citrus County Courthouse Marker

Notice the male cardinal perched on the historical marker!

added over the years, workers uncovered terrazzo floors and marble wainscoting. Transom windows that had been painted over and nailed shut were refinished and re-hinged. Old photographs of the courthouse gave clues to what the hidden walls, floors, and ceilings looked like. Society members and architects even watched VHS copies of the 1961 Elvis Presley movie Follow That Dream, which featured scenes that took place in the second floor courtroom. (Submitted on November 18, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Historic Citrus County Courthouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James R. Murray, September 26, 2014

3. Historic Citrus County Courthouse

Marker at entrance indicating that the Court House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 17, 1992

Photographed By Julie Szabo, November 11, 2007

4. Historic Citrus County Courthouse

Photographed By Julie Szabo, November 11, 2007

5. Historic Citrus County Courthouse Marker

Photographed By Julie Szabo, November 11, 2007

6. Historic Citrus County Courthouse

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 22, 2009

7. Historic Citrus County Courthouse Marker

Taken in glorius late summer evening natural lighting, shortly before sunset. Sadly, the belvedere is now missing from the top of the cupola.

Historic Citrus County Courthouse Belvedere Replaced image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, November 11, 2009

8. Historic Citrus County Courthouse Belvedere Replaced

Happily, as of November 2009, the belvedere has been refurbished and replaced atop the Historic Citrus County Courthouse building.

Historic Citrus County Courthouse Cornerstone Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James R. Murray, September 26, 2014

9. Historic Citrus County Courthouse Cornerstone Marker

Notes that the building was erected in 1912 and lists the Board of County Commissioners in office at the time.

1978 Citrus County Courthouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, November 15, 2017

10. 1978 Citrus County Courthouse

In 1978, this newer courthouse, half a block away, replaced the 1912 courthouse. The 1912 courthouse is now the "Old Courthouse Heritage Museum" and hosts the Citrus County Historical Society.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 13, 2007, by Julie Szabo of Oldsmar, Florida. This page has been viewed 2,618 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on November 13, 2007, by Julie Szabo of Oldsmar, Florida. 2. submitted on November 9, 2009, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on September 26, 2014, by James R. Murray of Elkton, Florida. 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 13, 2007, by Julie Szabo of Oldsmar, Florida. 7. submitted on November 9, 2009, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 8. submitted on December 10, 2009, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 9. submitted on September 26, 2014, by James R. Murray of Elkton, Florida. 10. submitted on November 18, 2017, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.