Saturday morning in Wytheville and the Wythe County Courthouse was sitting in a thick fog that gave…read morethe whole block a muted and quiet feel. It made the 1902 Classical Revival building look even more stately than usual as I walked the grounds. The courthouse was designed by Frank P. Milburn, the same architect behind a long list of early twentieth-century civic buildings across the south. I've seen dozens of his works. His signature style shows up here in the symmetry, the brick and stone detailing, and the confident proportions that make a small county seat feel a little more important. The courthouse has handled the usual mix of local criminal and civil matters over the decades but nothing that has ever turned into a statewide headline, which fits the quiet vibe of the place especially on a fogged in weekend morning when the offices are closed and you can wander without interruption. I did not spot a Confederate memorial anywhere on the property and that's because the monument was removed in 2020 after a vote by the county board, leaving the grounds feeling a bit more open and less cluttered. Wytheville itself takes its name from George Wythe, the Virginia jurist and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the town has produced a few well known residents including Edith Bolling Wilson who was born just a block away and later became First Lady. [Review 899 of 2026 - 1550 in Virginia - 26080 overall]

Monday at noontime I swung around the traffic circle in Princeton to get a look at the Mercer…read moreCounty Courthouse, a 1931 Classical Revival building designed by Alex B Mahood, the Bluefield architect responsible for a number of prominent southern West Virginia civic structures. Mercer County is named for Hugh Mercer, the Revolutionary War general, and Princeton has been the county seat since its founding, rebuilt after being burned twice during the Civil War. The courthouse was busy with busy with people coming and going, so I stayed outside and took in the building from the circle, getting honked at only twice while I tried to make sense of the traffic pattern. Driving slowly helps. The grounds were active, the building is clearly well kept, and even without going inside, it's easy to appreciate how this courthouse anchors the center of Princeton and remains one of the town's most recognizable landmarks. [Review 904 of 2026 - 216 in West Virginia - 26085 overall]

The parking here is extremely limited. There are a few spots on the street, but are limited to a…read moretwo hour maximum. If you have business to conduct at the courthouse be prepared to park off site and walk a short distance. The staff at the assessors office are professional and very helpful.

This marker stands at the main intersection in the center of the town of Floyd, in front of the…read moreFloyd County Courthouse. It reads, "This place became the county seat when Floyd County was formed in 1831. First called Jacksonville for Andrew Jackson, its name was changed to that of the county. The courthouse was built on land given by the Phlegar family. The town was incorporated in 1892 and rechartered in 1936. Here was born Admiral Robley D. Evans, hero of the Spanish-American War." Floyd County's recorded history began with the arrival of traders and trappers in the 18th century with settlers during the 1740s. The county was named for then governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, John Floyd. [Review 13758 overall, 1079 of 2020, number 1193 in Virginia.]

Pike County is named for Zebulon Pike, who discovered Pikes Peak (Colorado). The courthouse…read morebuilding was completed in 1889 and was designed by the McDonald Brothers. It was remodeled extensively in the 1930s and still retains is Classical Revival design. The building has a symmetrical façade and a clock tower and a small square cupola. The first story has horizontal lined brickwork and the second and third stories have a light colored brick construction. The historical marker in front was erected in 1990 and points out some history, reading "Courthouse erected 1888-89 by McDonald Bros.; later renovated 1932-33. Here was scene of Hatfield clan trials for murders of Tolbert, Randolph, Jr., Pharmer, Alifair, and Calvin McCoy. The defendants lodged in adjacent jail; found guilty and sentenced to life in prison except Ellison Mounts, hanged February 18, 1890. Courthouse and jail part of Hatfield-McCoy Feud Historic Dist." It is marker number 1866 and was erected by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways. The grounds have a number of monuments and such. There is street parking and a parking deck nearby which also serves the adjacent Appalachian Wireless Arena. [Review 630 of 2025 - 321 in Kentucky - 24191 overall]

The 1908 Grayson County Courthouse in Independence has that proud early twentieth-century presence…read morethat feels both formal and handmade, its Classical Revival design by Frank Milburn* giving it the symmetry, brick massing, and columned entry that Virginia counties favored when they wanted to project stability. Grayson County itself was named for William Grayson, a US Senator from Virginia in the 1780s and the town's name, Independence, was chosen to mark the nation's spirit after the revolution. It hasn't always been the county seat. That honor originally belonged to Greenville, but won the seat in the early nineteenth century as settlement shifted westward and the community grew into a more central civic hub. By the time I visited on Friday afternoon, the courthouse was closed, which actually made the experience better. With the sunset hitting the brick and no one around, I could walk right up to the building and appreciate the details without interruption. The grounds still have the expected and familiar Confederate monument, but since this building is no longer the active courthouse, it feels more like a historical artifact than a statement. Today, the structure serves administrative and community functions rather than full judicial operations, and wandering the quiet grounds made it easy to admire the architecture without the bustle of modern court traffic. [Review 886 of 2026 - 1537 in Virginia - 26067 overall] *I've seen many of Milburn's courthouses including the 1904 Wilkes County in Washington GA, 1907 Rockingham County in Reidsville NC, 1909 Swain County in Bryson City NC, 1914 Rowan County in Salisbury NC, Boyd County in Catlettsburg KY and more than 250 other major buildings across the South.