The Highlands County Courthouse in Sebring, Florida was built in the 1920's in the Classical…read moreRevival architectural style. It was designed by Fred A. Bishop (1918-1940) who is responsible by other courthouse buildings including Wilson County (North Carolina) and Hopewell County (Virginia) plus the Byrd Theatre in Richmond (Virginia). The building faces southwest and is a three story gray colored stone and concrete structure. A large portico on the front supported by four large Ionic columns which rise to a wide header at the top of the second story. A wide cornice runs below the third story which story has a flat roof line. In the interior is a central rotunda rising to a domed roof. In the 1960's, an annex building was constructed and then a second annex in the 1970s with a modern county government center built in the 1990s. Highlands County continues to grow. The building was secured on a Sunday afternoon but it was still possible to walk the grounds not far from the Sebring circle. It was nice to return to Sebring after ten years to see how much has changed and how much has not changed. [Review 458 of 2025 - 2101 in Florida - 24020 overall]

In the early 1900's Central Florida was one large county called DeSoto. In 1921 the state…read morelegislature acquiesced to the residents desire to have smaller municipalities and they passed a measure to split DeSoto into five counties: DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Hardee, and Highlands. Four towns vied to be the county seat. Sebring was named the temporary capital so they had more sway at first. Four the next year and a half four towns, Avon Park, Sebring, DeSoto City, and Lake Placid fought for the economic benefits and influence that the county seat would provide. A special election was scheduled to take place on November 21, 1922 to settle the issue. The real contest was between Avon Park and Sebring because they had the biggest populations. 96.8% of the county's eligible voters showed up at the polls and Sebring edged out Avon Park. For the next four years, the courthouse offices were located on the second floor of the Hainz Building at 134 Ridgewood Avenue. Trials were held in outdoor courtroom at a pavilion in the Japanese themed Tuscawilla Park on Commerce Avenue. In August 1925 voters approved a $175,000 bond to begin construction of the permanent court house. Virginia architect Fred Bishop was chosen to design a Classical Revival style building. Court house construction began on June 15, 1926 and was completed in March of 1927 at a cost of $250,000. The court house was designed to be much larger than what was needed at the time and signaled the change of Sebring from an agricultural community to one of governmental power in Central Florida. On August 14, 1989 the court house was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. As the population of the area grew it became impossible to do all of the court functions in one building. In 1997 the Highlands County Government Center opened on the property. It contains the offices of the Tax Collector, Supervisor of Elections, Property Appraiser, Clerk of Courts and the Board of County Commission Administrative Staff. A second building is the Courthouse Annex. It house the State Attorney's office and the Public Defender's Office. The original court house building is still used for the court system and clerk's office. A 70,000 square foot addition at a cost of approximately 10 million dollars was completed in 2004. The expansion retained the original architectural details of the building while expanding the functionality of the court house. If you are in the area it is well worth the time to stop and admire this historic building that has stood the test of time.

Beautiful state capital building in the city if Albany . Can't enter but architure is very nice !…read moreWould love to have a tour! I believe it was built with Rockefeller money

- Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming! -…read more Or maybe I've been transported to an alternate universe! I retired here 12 years ago, stopped by here and was treated so well a practically had a heart attack from ecstasy! Now it's time for an update. Arriving- It's on Main St. with typical free parallel parking. Drive around the block and you'll find a free lot that is close. Ambience- They've recently underwent an expansion, and you are now welcomed by a beautiful outside mural! See my pic. Everything inside is clean and neat with comfortable chairs. Product- In FL, small towns like mine combine their tax office and DMV operation into one. A lot can be done online but some stuff needs the personal touch. For really complicated work, especially property titles. I need to go to Sebring, which has a bigger office. Customer Service- I came from PA where a DMV visit was often a half day nightmare or worse! Here, I'm seen in 5 or 10 minutes and I'm often out the door in less than 30 minutes. The employees are super friendly and efficient. On this visit I was out the door in twenty minutes, and it took 2 hours for the smile to disappear from my face! Conclusion- Folks often complain about bureaucracy, but this is a wonderful example of how to do it right. 10 Stars!

Having worked with -- and been part of -- several Chambers of Commerce over the years, I can…read morehonestly say that the N.E. Polk Chamber of Commerce has been outstanding in its support of local businesses and community members. It is also worth especially mentioning Edee, Lara, and Julie once again for their professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine commitment to helping local businesses grow and connect within the community. Their support and positive energy truly make a difference.

Edee, Lana, and Julie are all very kind and supportive chamber of commerce staff members that are…read morewelcoming and you can see their love for helping the community and our local businesses. I went in today for the new member packet for our local roofing company, Roof Top Experts, and they provided great information on helping boost our local presence and highly recommend joining the CoC as a member to help out your business. Thank you to Haines City for providing great resources and we are here to happily help with any Polk County roofing services like roof repairs and roof replacements. Providing the same great service that these Chamber Ladies provide us!

Staff was very helpful and got the job done! The building was very clean and neat. Thank you all…read morefor your help

Excellent efficient service!! All done by a phone call, and honestly I was expecting the opposite…read morefrom experiences long in the past. I was amazed!!

april ray is rehabilitated and has overcome great obsticles to rebuild her life. her life. she has…read moreearned the rights to get her children back, and is married to a good man who has chosen to take role as their father. he has a beautiful young teenage daughter from a previous relationship which whom he shares custody with. april ray is working in a salon and she and her family are living a healthy and happy, stable life.