Jefferson County Courthouse murals

The Jefferson County Courthouse murals, entitled "Old South" and "New South", are large painted murals on either side of the lobby of the Jefferson County Courthouse. They were painted in 1931 by Chicago-based artist John W. Norton (1876-1934).

The "Old South" mural, on the South side of the lobby, is dominated by the figure of a woman in a modest antebellum dress framed by fluted columns. Around her feet is a scene of African American slaves harvesting cotton and sugar cane near some humble cabins in the foreground. Behind them are two gentlemen on horseback, a riverboat, a warehouse and a Greek Revival style mansion.

The "New South" mural, on the North wall, features a similar composition, with the dominant figure that of a man in a suit and hat holding open a rolled drawing. There is black miner, a group of white ironworkers, and another white worker loading baled cotton in the foreground. Behind them are seen a locomotive crossing a bridge, a power plant, and a blast furnace.

In September 2015 the Jefferson County Commission responded to a petition to remove the murals due to their "racist" content. Commissioner Sandra Brown discussed the matter with the NAACP and Commissioner Joe Knight agreed that the county should "move on."

References

• Dwyer, Owen J. (2008) Civil Rights Memorials and the Geography of Memory. Chicago, Illinois: Center for American Places at Columbia College ISBN 193006683X
• Brook, Ginger (May 2, 2013) "Old and New" Deep Fried Kudzu.