Jefferson County Courthouse (1847)

The 1847 courthouse

The third Jefferson County Courthouse was constructed in the Town of Elyton in 1847, replacing an earlier courthouse as the seat of government for Jefferson County. The architect was W. K. Ball.

The building served until Jefferson County voters passed a referendum to relocate the seat of government to the newly-established City of Birmingham. The new Birmingham courthouse was completed in 1875 and the county property in Elyton was auctioned off. The former courthouse was converted into a paint factory, which was destroyed by fire around 1883.

Bricks salvaged from the courthouse were used to construct Broad Street Missionary Baptist Church in Smithfield.

References

• Cruikshank, George H. (1920) History of Birmingham and Its Environs: A Narrative Account of Their Historical Progress, Their People, and Their Principal Interests 2 volumes. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections