Jackson County Courthouse in Sylva, North Carolina

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Courthouse Information

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Wikipedia says the following about the courthouse:

The Jackson County Courthouse is situated on a hill at the end of main street, and there are 107 steps leading up to its front portico from the fountain and plaza at street level. It is a two-story, Classical Revival style brick buildings with a three-stage cupola. It was built after C.J. Harris pushed the county to vote for the removal of the county seat from Webster (Where it had been since 1851) to Sylva, and the measure passed and the seat was relocated. Harris then as part of the agreement built a courthouse with the sum of money not exceeding $30,000. The building was patterned after the Madison County Courthouse in Marshall, North Carolina. The 1913 Courthouse served as the county's courthouse from 1914 until the present Justice Center was built in 1994 on Grindstaff Cove Road east of town near US 74. It had been previously renovated in 1950 with the mezzanine third floor was painted white and four windows were added to the front and back of the third floor. It was renovated again in 1969, when the red bricks were painted white, a clock added to the dome, the pine trees along the steps that hid the building from the street and lined the steps were also removed.

In 2007, the Courthouse site was selected for the location of the new Jackson County Public Library. The old Jail from 1963 was demolished at this time, and the original jail from 1913 was demolished in 2009, when the new library started being constructed.

The Jackson County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

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County Information

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The North Carolina History Project lists the following information for this county:

Nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina, Jackson County borders both Georgia and South Carolina. Jackson County has become a tourist attraction for many outdoor enthusiasts; white water rafters and fishermen flock to the waters of the Tuckasegee River and hikers and skiers to the mountains of Great Smoky Mountains and the Nantahala National Forest.

The first county seat of Jackson County was the town of Webster, but after a ten-year long debate on whether to move the seat to Sylva in the early 1900s. In 1901, the "removalists," county residents who wanted the switch to Sylva, petitioned the North Carolina legislature to move the county seat because Sylva was a railroad town and its industrial sector was on the rise. However, the county never voted on the General Assembly's bill because of the decisive split on part of Webster residents. C. J. Harris, the wealthiest Sylva resident at the time, offered $30,000 to build a new courthouse in Sylva, and after a county vote, the seat of government transitioned to Sylva in 1913.

Even though Jackson County experienced great population growth in the 1990s, its natural traits and features remain an important part of the county. The Nantahala National Forest encompasses most of the county's land area, and some of the region's most important economic products have remained Christmas trees and other types of lumber. More than 15 waterfalls can be found throughout Jackson, and the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad continues to operate as a scenic travel tour of the county.

Named after the seventh president of the United States Andrew Jackson, the county was annexed from Haywood and Macon counties in the early 1850s. Sylva has been the seat of government since 1913, and other towns in Jackson County include Cashiers, Glenville, Balsam, Dillsboro, and Cullowhee. In addition, different sections of Cherokee, Highlands, and Sapphire extend into Jackson County. A part of the Qualla Boundary exists in the county, and the Ellicott Rock remains an important border marker for the region.

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Our Experience

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Sylva looked like a typical rural mountain town with the river, railroad tracks and a row of buildings all parallel at the bottom of a mountain. The first view of the courthouse is impressive from main street. It is located on a hill at the end of the street. The view from the courthouse is also impressive and you can see down main street to the mountains in the background.

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Google Map Track Log

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Swain County Courthouse in Bryson City, North Carolina		Clay County Courthouse in Hayesville, North Carolina

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