Courthouses

A Tour of Two Courthouses

When the new Randolph County Courthouse opened in summer 2002, the old courthouse, vintage 1908, received a new roof and a protective coat of paint. Then, it was closed pending the findings of a courthouse renovation committee chaired by Library Director Richard Wells. The committee's charge is to investigate possible ways both to preserve and use the historic building.

One place the committee's research has led is the Iredell County Courthouse in Statesville. It has the same floor plan as the Randolph County Courthouse, although some of the building material are different. The Iredell courthouse is ten years older (1898) than Randolph's.

The greatest difference between the two is that Iredell's courthouse was restored some 10 years ago using local and state funding, and retains much of the 1898 appearance. Much of Randolph's courthouse was renovated in the 1960s to the standards of the period.

Visits to both courthouses resulted in a slide show that compares and contrasts the two buildings. Iredell's courtroom, seating 250, is used for county commissioners and other group meetings. Some county offices including the county manager and finance department are located there in addition to the local historical society.