Early Columbia

This image was scanned from a book titled EARLY COLUMBIA: The Beginnings of a Small Town by Ruth Paull Burdette. In it, she uses the records in Court Clerk's office and Circuit Court's office to trace the development of the town of Columbia, our county seat in Adair County.

"This is a picture of the courthouse after it was remodeled in 1847. Four large columns, reaching from ground to the roof above the second floor, were constructed on two sides, one facing Greensburg Street and the other facing Jamestown Street. A bell tower was built on the roof and could be seen for a great distance in any direction from the square."from Adair County, Kentucky, A Pictorial HistoryAdair County Genealogical Society, p. 8

The First Adair County Courthouse--"June 7 1803: Adair County Court acceded to the contract of the commissioners with William Sutton and Robert Ball, as the undertakers to build and complete a courthouse of brick or stone, 37 feet long and 24 feet wide. The lower floor was to be paved with brick or stone, two and a hlf stories high, shingle roof and one chimney, one fire place below and two above, one in each jury room, two doors below, one oneach side, six windows below adn four above. The cost was not to exceed 700 pounds."
from Adair County, Kentucky, A Pictorial HistoryAdair County Genealogical Society, p. 8

Picture identified as taken on May 5, 1884