The Colleton County Courthouse in Walterboro, South Carolina, was completed in 1822 and remains the oldest courthouse in the state still in active use. Designed by Robert Mills in the Greek Revival style, it stands as a civic and architectural landmark. Colleton County takes its name from Sir John Colleton, one of the original Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina. The county was established in 1800, with Jacksonboro initially serving as the seat of government. That designation shifted to Walterboro in 1817, prompting the need for a new courthouse to reflect the town's growing stature. The courthouse was completed in 1820 by Charleston contractors J. & B. Lucas, based on a design attributed to Robert Mills, one of America's first native-born architects and a protégé of Thomas Jefferson. Mills favored the Greek Revival style, which symbolized democratic ideals and civic virtue. The building is a two-story brick structure, originally stuccoed to resemble stone, with a raised basement and a commanding entrance portico. That portico is supported by four Tuscan columns, flanked by curved staircases with ironwork railings. The entrance is framed by pilasters and topped with a parapet, giving the façade a temple-like presence. The courthouse has undergone several significant modifications. In 1916, a west wing was added. Between 1937 and 1939, the Works Progress Administration expanded the building further with the addition of an east wing, applying brick veneer to the west wing, constructing a north entrance addition, and remodeling the interior. A restoration effort in 2007 preserved its historic character while updating its functionality. The site also holds historical weight beyond architecture. On June 22, 1828, the courthouse hosted South Carolina's first public meeting on nullification, where Robert Barnwell Rhett urged Governor John Taylor to convene the legislature in opposition to federal tariffs. A second meeting, led by James Hamilton Jr., followed in October, laying the groundwork for the state's Ordinance of Nullification in 1832. A Confederate monument stands on the courthouse grounds, dedicated on June 22, 1911 by local veterans. The obelisk honors the soldiers and women of Colleton County who supported the Confederate cause. It has been relocated several times but now stands prominently facing Hampton Street. The inscriptions commemorate both those who fought and those who supported the war effort from home. [Review 1326 of 2025 - 1323 in South Carolina - 24878 overall] read more