I was in the court house yesterday, for jury duty. And must say, all the folks, I encountered were so friendly, and knowledgeable. I wandered around and was impressed with the amazing beauty of this historical building. Everytime I drive in Sevierville I see it towering over all the other buildings. It makes me grin for it is beautiful. It was build in 1896, and got on the historical registry in 1971. This magnificent structure was designed by noted architect Kenneth McDonald of Louisville, Kentucky. McDonald was known for his Beaux-Arts Classicism design. The building was constructed by C. W. Brown of Lenoir City, at a cost of $21,000.00. From its beginning, the new courthouse has been a symbol of civic pride. The courthouse is a three-story structure, measuring 85 feet by 70 feet. The foundation is made of limestone blocks, 24 to 30 inches thick. The exterior walls up to the main floor are of hand-shaped limestone. They were obtained from a local quarry and hauled to the courthouse site by horse drawn wagons. From the main floor up, the exterior walls are brick, made at local brick yards. The tower is the dominating feature of the Courthouse rising 75 feet above the building. It rises 130 feet from the ground and is made of wood columns 10 inches by 10 inches rising from wood trusses. Midway up the tower is a large Seth Thomas clock which cost $1,353.45. For years, the clock was wound manually but today it's electric and strikes at the top of every hour. The metal dome on top of the tower was made by George G. M. Nichols. read more

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Sevier County is an incredible place to live and work. Support extensions throughout county government are easily accessible and the county mayors office is interactive and hosts numerous community events throughout the year. read more

I have not been in a Court House in a long time. Sevierville's Court House looks like a decent place. It wasn't too busy on a Friday afternoon. We saw no line for marriage licenses or passports. The Driver's License and registration areas had a few people. The security personnel looked serious. They were helpful showing us where to go for restrooms. When we used the restrooms, we saw the security line. We also passed the directory. When you go out the front door, go to the left to see Dolly Patron's Statue. There are a couple of benches to sit on and pass time. One is under a beautiful shade tree. read more

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Sevierville County is the largest city in Sevier County and is the county seat. It is believed that Spanish expeditions led by Hernando de Soto passed through in 1540. The Chickamauga indians were here until they were forceably removed by the US Government between 1830 and 1850. The county was formed in 1794 and is named after John Sevier, governor of the failed State of Franklin and later the first governor of Tennessee. The city was strongly pro-Union during the Civil War. This absolutely beautiful courthouse was built in 1895 and was designed in the Beaux Arts style. At night, it was completely lit up but the building was secured and not open for touring. Bummer! But I did take the time to appreciate the statue of Dolly Parton on the grounds. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. There is street parking all around. [Review 18858 overall - 381 in Tennessee - 2381 of 2022.] read more

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