Henry County Courthouse (Tennessee) facts for kids
The Henry County Courthouse is an important building in Paris, Henry County, Tennessee. It's where many local government activities happen. The building you see today was finished in 1896. It is the fourth courthouse Henry County has had.
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The Current Courthouse (Built 1896)
This courthouse is the fourth one to serve Henry County. It's the third building to stand in this exact spot. Workers laid the first stone in 1896. The courthouse officially opened on October 2 of that year.
A famous architect named Reuben Harrison Hunt from Chattanooga designed the building. He used a style called Richardsonian Romanesque. This style often features strong, heavy stone and round arches. The design is very much like another courthouse Hunt built in Elberton, Georgia.
When it was new, the courthouse had three courtrooms and twelve offices. It also had special fire-proof rooms for important papers. It was quite modern for its time, with electric lights and a heating system. The tall clock tower reaches about 113 feet high. The clock in the tower has four faces. It rings a bell every hour and half-hour.
Over the years, the building has been updated. An elevator and air conditioning were added. Some of the original wooden details are still there. This includes doors, railings, and banisters on the stairs.
Two staircases lead to the third floor. Here, a viewing area once looked down into the main courtroom. This area and the original ceiling are now hidden by a newer ceiling. This change helped make air conditioning possible.
In the main hallway, you can see portraits of important people. One is Patrick Henry, who the county is named after. There are also portraits of three Tennessee governors who lived in Paris: Isham Green Harris, James Davis Porter, and Thomas Clarke Rye.
The courthouse lawn has several trees. Three of these trees honor the governors mentioned above. There is also a monument called the "Private of '61." It remembers soldiers from the county who fought in the Civil War. Another memorial lists the names of Henry County soldiers who died serving their country.
The Tower Clock and Bell
The clock in the tower was ordered on August 4, 1896. It came from the E. Howard Clock Company. The clock cost $670, which was a lot of money back then. It was shipped from the factory just before it was due.
Originally, the clock worked using two heavy weights. People had to wind the clock by hand once or twice a week. Instead of metal weights, these were wooden boxes filled with scrap metal like horseshoes. In the 1950s, the clock was updated. Now, two electric motors keep the time and ring the bell.
The large bell was made by William Kaye in Louisville, Kentucky. People say that citizens of Paris donated silver dollars to be melted into the bell. This was believed to make its sound clearer. The bell was first used in another building in Paris around 1854. It rang for school events, church services, and funerals. After that building burned down in 1890, the bell was moved. Six years later, it was placed in the new courthouse tower.
The Cornerstone
You can find the cornerstone on the northeast side of the courthouse. It's a special stone laid when a building is first started. On one side, it shows the architect's name, R. H. Hunt, and the builder's name, E. M. Wallen. It also shows the year 1896. On another side, it lists the names of the building committee members. These were the people who helped plan and oversee the construction.
Earlier Courthouses
Henry County had three courthouses before the current one. Each played a part in the county's history.
The First Courthouse (1823)
The very first courthouse was built in 1823. It was located in a community called Clifty, south of Paris. This building was made from poplar logs. It was built in a style called a dogtrot. This means it had two rooms separated by an open hallway. The court met in one room. In the other room, someone sold pies and drinks!
The Second Courthouse (1825)
In 1825, Paris became the official county seat. This means it was chosen as the main town for the county government. A small, two-story brick courthouse was built in the center of town. John Burke and Francis McConnell built it for only $143. This building served the county until 1850.
The Third Courthouse (1852)
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The third courthouse was finished in 1852. It was designed by John Ora and built by Calvin Sweeney. This building was made of red brick and had two stories. It featured a central hall and a dome on top. It was a rectangular building, with its longer sides facing north and south. There was also a public well on the courthouse lawn.
This courthouse saw many important events. On its lawn, soldiers formed groups like the Fifth Tennessee Infantry and the Forty-Sixth Tennessee Infantry. These groups fought for the Confederate States Army during the Civil War.
A battle happened west of Paris on March 11, 1862. It is said that Union soldiers retreated through the town with Confederate soldiers chasing them.
On April 1, 1862, a group of Union soldiers arrived in Paris. Their leader, Captain William A. Haw, wrote about what happened. He found the key to the courthouse and went inside. He then placed his company's flag, the "Stars and Stripes," on top of the building. His soldiers cheered, but the local citizens did not.
Captain Haw wanted to make sure the flag stayed up. He told the citizens that he expected to see the flag still flying on his next visit. He promised protection if they left the flag alone. But he warned them they would be responsible if the flag was harmed.
However, a few days after the Union soldiers left, a Confederate Captain removed the flag.
In 1895, a group of officials said the courthouse needed repairs. Instead, the county decided to tear it down and build a new one. This new building is the courthouse that stands today.
 | Isaac Myers |
 | D. Hamilton Jackson |
 | A. Philip Randolph |
