Courthouse History
Disaster Strikes the
Courthouses of Martin County, NC
To date, this small and
predominantly rural county of eastern North Carolina has had four court
facilities.
Court on Stilts
Local legend describes the first
courthouse in the county as a high court, literally. The wooden
structure was built on stilts in 1775, probably because of its
proximity to the flood-prone Roanoke River. The stories tell of
court patrons entering the courtroom from boats by way of ladders,
which were pulled up when the court was in session. No one left
until the judge declared court dismissed. Eventually, this first
courthouse became so dilapidated that it could no longer be used.
(Read more about this period in the history of eastern North
Carolina, including some fanciful stories about exciting court days
at this very courthouse in The Life
and Times of Elder Ruben Ross by his son James Ross with
an introduction by J.M. Pendleton. Read the book online at East
Carolina University's North Carolina History and Fiction Digital
Library at the following link:
http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/historyfiction/document/rol/ . Use
the "jump to" page option to reach the section referring to the
courthouse in Williamston which starts at the last paragraph on page
85.)
From Water to Flames
A second courthouse was constructed in
1835. It, too, was built of wood. After almost 50 years, fire destroyed
the building in 1884. Until another could be built, court sessions were
held on the second floor of the S.R. Biggs’ drug store on Williamston’s
Main Street.
Advancing to Brick
In July of 1885, “fifty thousand bricks for
building the Court House had been delivered” to Williamston and the
first brick courthouse structure was begun soon after. This third
courthouse was completed in 1887 at a cost of $17,500 and was one of
only a dozen built in North Carolina between 1860 and 1900. For nearly a
century, the sturdy structure served the county as a courthouse, a
repository of public documents and even, on occasion, a meeting place.
In 1983, county officials dealt a death knell to the third Martin County
courthouse. They decided to build a center to house several courtrooms
as well as multiple government services. The “old” courthouse would be
demolished to create parking space for the new governmental center.
With the county’s first courthouse falling into disrepair; the second
being lost to flames, and the third about to meet the wrecking ball, you
might think that the people of Martin County, NC have not cared much for
their judicial heritage. That perception would be wrong.
Read the story of how and why the third
Martin County Courthouse was saved and discover
how you can take part of this exciting project.