History of the Carter County, Kentucky Courthouse
Since the formation of Carter County, on May 1, 1838, there has been more than one courthouse that housed the county’s government offices. Construction of the first courthouse began in 1840 and stretched through 1842. E. B. Elliott completed this work. This building served the county until 1907.
Standing in front are (left to right) Watt Davis, unknown, George Castle, Judge Jones, John Carolin, Frank Smith, Sam Wylie, E. B. Wilhoit, Bill Moccabee, Judge Hubbard, Robert Davis, Hiram Gregory, Judge Woods, Judge Morris and George Armstrong. The small building off to the side served as the tax accessor’s office.
In 1907 the old courthouse was torn down and
construction began on a larger and more modern structure on the same site as
the first courthouse.
Eventually, in need of more space a new wing was added to both the East and the West side of the building to give us the building that we see today, sitting atop the hill on West Main Street in Grayson.
Later an adjoining jail was built on the South side of the courthouse along with a connecting ramp to the upstairs courtroom, for transporting prisoners.
As you travel from the sidewalk on Main Street up the steps to the top of Courthouse Square, where the front entrance to the Carter County Courthouse is located, you will notice memorial stones placed on each of the steps. The memorial stones were placed to honor earlier attorneys of Carter County.
These stones read:
Col. E. B. Wilhoit
Nano R. Bagby
Atty At
Law
Pres of the C W C
1932
J. D. Jones
R. D. Davis
Atty At
Law
Atty At Law
?, H. Frazelle
J. R. Botts
Atty At
Law
Atty At Law
Frank Prater
J. R. Ward
Atty At
Law
Atty At Law
The "Dough Boy" Memorial
Pictured in the two views is the "Dough Boy" Memorial erected on the Carter County Courthouse lawn.
The leftmost bronze plate beneath the Dough Boy states as follows:
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF
OUR COMRADES FROM CARTER COUNTY
WHO ENTERED THE SERVICE
OF THEIR COUNTRY.
THOSE WHO WERE WOUNDED AND
THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE WORLD WAR OF 1917 - 1918
Sponsored by
Moore-Armstrong Post No. 138, American Legion
Willie C. Lewis Post No. 156, American Legion
Carter County Fiscal Court
Committee
Jerry Carroll, Co-Chairman
Richard Cox, Co-Chairman
Hubert Counts, Secretary
Joe Wheeler, Treasurer
James P. Carpenter, Owen Fielding
Bill Wollin, W. H. Roe
D. V. Kibbey
The 3 additional plates bear the names of the servicemen being honored
Col. William Grayson Carter
historical marker
Located on the lawn in front of the Carter County Courthouse, is a historical marker commemorating the naming of the county in 1838.
The marker reads:
COUNTY NAMED, 1838
"For Col. William Grayson Carter, state senator, 1834-38. The 88th Ky. county formed, 32nd in size, Carter was created from Greenup and Lawrence. Noted in early years for 5 iron furnaces, its clay products industry developed in late 1800's. Carter Caves, a major source of saltpeter during War of 1812, has been important tourist attraction since 1924.
.
In 1953 a granite monument was placed on the front lawn of the Carter County Courthouse in Grayson, Kentucky. The monument bears a bronze plaque pictured here, to honor William Jason Fields. The plaque reads as follows:
WE HONOR
WILLIAM JASON FIELDS
United States Representative
1911-1923
Governor of Commonwealth of Kentucky
1923-1927
Born Dec 29, 1874
Willard, Ky. Carter Co.
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This plaque erected by
Carter County Teachers Ass'n And
Friends
1953
Now that the new Justice Center has been completed
on Main Street in Grayson, the offices and courtrooms of the Circuit Court and
District Court have been moved out of the Courthouse itself, leaving more room
for county clerk, sheriff, tax assessor, the County Judge and various other
governmental offices.
