This foundation is all that remains of Baldwin County's first courthouse.
Authorized in 1820 but not constructed until circa 1833, the two-story brick building contained a jail on the bottom floor with office space on the upper floor. Sessions of court and other county business are believed to have been conducted in several locations within the town of Blakeley prior to the construction of the courthouse. The building served as the seat of county government until 1868, when officials named nearby Daphne the county seat. The site of the courthouse was professionally excavated by the University of South Alabama Center for Archaeological Studies in 2011. The structure protecting the remains of its foundation was constructed using funds from a "Save America's Treasures" grant through the National Park Service along with matching local funds.
"...two hundred yards from the landing, almost secluded by the drooping branches of Live-Oaks, is the court house...a small two-story brick building painted white, and having in the basement a room answering the purpose of a jail."
Brig. Gen. C.C. Andrews, in The Campaign for Mobile, 1866
Photo captions:
Bottom left maps: Blakeley's selection as the seat of Baldwin County came about in 1820 after a change of
boundaries placed this area (originally in Mobile County) within the county's redrawn limits. 1818 (left) and 1820 (right) maps showing Baldwin County's changed borders
Top right: Section of map of Blakeley produced during the Civil War, showing the location of the courthouse ("C.H.") in relation to other structures at the time.
Bottom right: Ruins of the courthouse, ca. 1900
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