Jefferson County Courthouse (Elyton)

The second Jefferson County Courthouse was constructed at the center of the newly-established Town of Elyton in 1821 as the seat of government for Jefferson County.

It took the place of the first County Courthouse, a rude building erected in Carrollville the year before. The 8.66 acre parcel upon which it was built was deeded to the members of the Jefferson County Commission for one cent by William Ely, agent for the American Asylum for the Instruction and Education of the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut. The gift was made on condition that a courthouse and jail be erected there within four years.

The courthouse is sometimes remembered as having been a frame building, but was more likely constructed of brick, given that it was referred to as "little brick" in a document from June 4, 1821. It was located in the center of Broad Street, which intersected the Main Street (also known as Tuscaloosa Road) in the center of town. The rest of the property given to the County was subdivided and sold to fund construction.

The building served until 1847 when a new larger courthouse was constructed a few hundred feet away.

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