Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Laurie and I like riding our Gold Wing motorcycle. But it is easy to get into a rut and just ride the same roads. So to force ourselves to ride to places we would not normally visit we made a goal to visit and photograph all 100 North Carolina courthouses within 1 year.
As usual, we got a little behind. We started in July 2015 and finished 99 out of 100 by June 2018. The last courthouse was in our home county of Wake and it took us until Feb 2021 to get that final one. But we made it! This blog is about one of those visits.
Many NC courthouses were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The nomination form has some interesting facts about the various courthouse styles over the years.
Courthouse Information
Wikipedia says the following about the courthouse:
Polk County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Columbus, Polk County, North Carolina. It was built in 1859, and is a two-story, "T"-shaped, Greek Revival style brick building. The front facade features an engaged, three-bay portico with a plain pediment supported by four square pillars. Atop the roof is a three-stage cupola.
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
County Information
The North Carolina History Project lists the following information for this county:
Formed out of Henderson and Rutherford counties, Polk County was established in 1855. It had almost been established eight years earlier, but an 1847 act establishing the county was repealed in 1848. The demarcated land was given back to Henderson and Rutherford. An 1855 act, with almost the same wording, was passed, however. The almost 238 mile county had been finally established. Until 1903, there remained among some residents a few disputes regarding the boundary between Henderson and Polk.
The county's namesake is not James K. Polk, a North Carolina native and the eleventh president of the United States. It is Colonel William Polk, a North Carolinian and Revolutionary War hero who survived Valley Forge and fought the British and Tories in numerous battles, including Germantown, Brandywine, and Eutaw Springs. He was wounded in all three. When the war ended, he was only twenty-two years old.
The county seat of Polk County is Columbus-the namesake is Dr. William Columbus, one of the forerunners in establishing the county. The county's current population is 19,226 (a 2006 estimate).
Our Experience
There was some kind of minor music festival happening in an open area across the road from the courthouse. There was also construction to install a pavers for the sidewalks. The courthouse seemed in great shape to have been built in 1859.
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
Polk County Courthouse in Columbus, North Carolina
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