Old Swain County Courthouse

Courthouse Setting
Bryson City, on the Tuckasegee River
above Fontana Dam, is the seat of
Swain County government. In a flat
valley, surroune by low mountains,
the small town !rovies loging an
sho!!ing for travelers in the area. The
ol county courthouse is site on a
corner at the intersection of "ain an
Fry Streets # the crossing of Bryson
City$s ma%or business streets. & war
memorial, historic markers, flowering
trees an bushes, !lus an ever'flowing
rinking fountain enhance the neat
courthouse !ro!erty.
Courthouse (istory
The county$s first court was hel in a
log house, five miles west of Bryson
City, !reviously known as Chatham.
The first courthouse was constructe in
)*+,. The main floor of the builing
was use both for county offices an for
court. The %ail was locate on the lower
level an coul be reache only by
lowering a laer through a oor in the
floor above. This builing soon burne,
an a secon one was constructe in
)**-.
In ).-*, the Swain County Commissioners orere the construction of a new courthouse, an they
a!!ointe Frank /. "ilburn of 0ashington, D.C. an R. S. Smith as architects. "ilburn was a well'known
architect who esigne many !ublic builings in 1orth Carolina an throughout the South. Smith worke
in &sheville, first with Richar "orris (unt at Biltmore 2illage, an then ine!enently. Falls City
Construction Com!any, of 3ouisville, 4entucky, built the structure which cost a!!ro5imately 678,---.
The commissioners authori9e the com!any to get a tower clock with metal Bell for a cost of $850.00 in
the new courthouse.
&rchitectural Descri!tion
The courthouse built in ).-* was the most ambitious structure in Bryson City. The builing is a large,
early 1eo'Classical Revival style builing set on a s!acious corner lot an %oine to the county %ail an
sheriff$s office by an enclose secon story crosswalk.
The two'story stuccoe courthouse is a three'!art com!osition. The central block has cli!!e corners an a
hi!!e roof an is fronte by a !eimente four'columne Ionic !ortico. Two'story flat roof wings !ro%ect
laterally beyon the core. The south fa:ae has a !eimente entrance !avilion ivie into three bays by
Ionic !ilasters. & heavy three'!art cornice wra!s aroun the builing which is crowne with an octagonal
1eo'Classical cu!ola containing clock faces on four sies.
The interior of the ol courthouse is a transverse hall !lan with offices on the first floor an a courtroom
an offices on the secon. "ost of the finishing etails are intact an inclue a !resse tin ceiling with a
classical egg an art crown mol !attern an !lain boar oor surrouns in the courtroom.