Lee County, North Carolina was officially formed in 1907 from parts of Moore and Chatham counties…read more It was named in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and became the 98th county in the state. The county seat, Sanford, was named after railroad engineer Col. Charles Ogburn Sanford. The rise of the railroad played a major role in the county's formation, as residents of Sanford found travel to Moore County's seat in Carthage too burdensome. The junction of two major rail lines helped Sanford grow rapidly, eventually leading to the merger of Sanford and Jonesboro in 1947.
The courthouse was built in 1908, shortly after the county was formed. It is a two-story rectangular brick building in the Classical Revival style with Ionic brick columns and a small dome atop its hipped roof. It was designed by Charles McMillan who is also responsible for a number of North Carolina structures including the Masonic Temple in Wilmington and the Grand Lodge Masonic Temple in Raleigh.
Unfortunately, the courthouse is under massive remodeling with a large fence around the front. I was not able to see the front lobby. The rear entrance does look pretty boring for a hallway with terrazzo floors.
Today, Lee County is known as the "brick making capital" of the United States and hosts the Sanford Pottery Festival, a major cultural event. The grounds of the courthouse include a huge parking lot, the interment of Jacob Gaster (a Revolutionary War hero) and the restored Court Bell. There is also a large marker at the rear between the Historic and New courthouses with a biography of the county's namesake.
[Review 745 of 2025 - 4177 in North Carolina - 24305 overall]