Columbia County Courthouse

The Columbia County Courthouse, an early twentieth-century building designed by William S. Hull, is a classic example of the Second Renaissance Revival style.

Located at 1 Courthouse Square in Magnolia (Columbia County), the current Columbia County Courthouse was finished in 1906 and is the third courthouse to be located on these grounds. The first was a temporary log courthouse built immediately after the county formed in 1852. In 1856, a more permanent courthouse was built. In 1903, a tax levy was created to provide funds for construction of the current courthouse.

While the courthouse was originally only two stories, the courthouse rotunda—which centers the building and once served as the courtroom—has been divided to form two floors, giving the building a third story.

The main entrance is a Roman style, three-bay arcade with a colonnaded portico above. The exterior has been left relatively untouched and maintains its original look. The interior, however, has been changed greatly to modernize the facility, although some not easily replaceable fixtures have remained, such as the original wooden stairwell.

The site was instrumental in serving as a meeting place for the creators of Logoly State Park, the state’s first park devoted to environmental education, which was established in the 1970s. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 1978.

For additional information:
“Columbia County Courthouse.” National Register of Historic Places nomination form. On file at Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, Little Rock, Arkansas. Online at https://www.arkansasheritage.com/arkansas-historic-preservation-program (accessed August 7, 2024).

Kilgore, Nettie Hicks. History of Columbia County. Magnolia, AR: Magnolia Printing Company, 1976.

Danny Groshong
Little Rock, Arkansas