The Johnson County Courthouse in Claaksville is a three-story masonry edifice constructed of brick and rusticated concrete blocks. It features an Italian Classical Revival front with a seven-bay projecting portion. Ground-floor windows and entrances are situated in round-arch openings, whereas upper-level windows are rectangular sash, arranged in bays articulated by pilasters. It was erected during the Great Depression with Federal Emergency Administration funds and is the county's third courthouse.
The Johnson County Courthouse at the time was about sixty years old and the county's residents recognized a chance to secure a new courthouse. The new courthouse was named Project 7431 by the PWA. Haralson & Nelson, an architectural firm in Fort Smith (Sebastian County), developed blueprints on November 30, 1934, and contractors Lineburger & Feaser finished the building in 1935. The finished building was praised as one of the most impressive courthouses in the state, with many seeing it as a symbol of local pride.
Since its construction in the 1930s, the interior has remained mostly intact. Polished granite floors in halls and stairways, as well as paneled oak doors, are common in New Deal-funded constructions. The courtroom's walls are adorned with pilasters, while the ceilings have moldings made of similarly stained wood.
It is well worth a visit if you're in Clarksville!
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