Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, 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:
Madison County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at Marshall, Madison County, North Carolina. It was designed by noted Asheville architectural firm of Smith & Carrier and built in 1907. It is two-story, brick, Classical Revival style building. It has a hipped roof topped by a four-stage polygonal cupola. The front facade features a tetrastyle pedimented Corinthian order portico.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is located in the Marshall Main Street Historic District.
County Information
The North Carolina History Project lists the following information for this county:
Madison County was established in 1851 out of land from Buncombe and Yancey Counties. Named after President James Madison, Madison County is located in the North Carolina's Mountain region in between Buncombe, Yancey, and Haywood Counties, and North Carolina's border with Tennessee. The first court was held at Adolphus Beard's tavern until a courthouse was erected. When its location was chosen, the town of Marshall was also established on the spot.
Marshall, N.C., named after Chief Justice John Marshall, remains Madison's county seat. Other important locations include Mars Hill College, a historical Baptist college established in 1856, and Hot Springs, a popular hot springs tourist attraction located at the junction of the Appalachian Trail and the French Broad River. As of 2010, Madison County was the home of about 21,000 people.
The Cherokee originally inhabited the area. Later, Scottish and Irish immigrants arrived, and as a result, rich, Scotch-Irish folklore and customs developed. The mountains in Madison County are also a popular destination for outdoor recreational activities, including skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and the French Broad River is used for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, and whitewater rafting. Madison's economy also relies on agriculture. The County produces tobacco, corn, diary products, livestock, and Christmas Trees.
Our Experience
This place reminded me of a small eastern Ky hill town. Downtown was very active and there were some interesting old buildings and signs. But parking was hard to find.
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina