Monroe County Courtroom Renovation & Restoration

The Monroe County Courthouse is nationally significant as an example of an antebellum courthouse structure in the deep south. Built in 1857 the Monroe County Courthouse is the home for documents covering a large portion of North Mississippi. Monroe County is North Mississippi’s oldest county and was created from a large “non-county area” in 1821. The area covered portions of 28 current counties. The county took its current form in 1871. Diverse records from these early periods, including non-county records are housed in the Monroe County Courthouse.

The antebellum Monroe County Circuit Courthouse is one of Mississippi’s oldest continuously functioning courthouse. Constructed of brick load bearing walls and heavy wood framing, the facility was in relatively good structural condition.  The initial focus of the project was acoustic mitigation in the historic courtroom.  The courtroom was decreased in size and reconfigured around 1970. Circular casework and partitions were added in the working portions of the court. This configuration created unusual acoustic patterns – as did the high smooth walls surrounding  the courtroom.  An acoustic engineering consultant analyzed the space and made recommendations to correct the acoustic issues.  Full A/E services were provided to restore the courtroom to its original configuration. Acoustic curtains were added at the windows and at the judges location.  A high performance acoustic plaster finish was incorporated into the upper areas of the court wall.  A detailed audio visual system was also incorporated into the courtroom.