Lafayette County Courthouse
National Register of Historic Places

Lafayette County Courthouse

Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri
Listed
September 21, 1970
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
70000339

About this property

The Lafayette County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri. It was built in 1847 and is the oldest courthouse in continuous use west of the Mississippi River. It is well known for the cannonball embedded in the upper left column, a remnant of the Civil War. In 1847, County Judges Thomas Gordon, Nathaniel Price, and Joseph W. Hall determined that a new Courthouse was needed to serve Lafayette County, Missouri. The judges chose a site on the new Main Street in Lexington, an approved plans for a magnificent structure of the Classic Greek Revival design. Silas Silver, John Catron, Robert Aull, and Henderson Young served as project and contract overseers, and William Dougherty was the architect. On April 1, 1847, the plans were accepted and $12,000 was set aside for building the new structure. The final construction costs were $14,382.46. The old courthouse in "Old Town" Lexington was sold for $1,500 and the old jail was sold for $51.00. This left the total expenditure for the new building at $12,831.46. There is a cannonball embedded in the upper left column, a remnant of the Civil War Battle of Lexington I, fought on September 18, 19 and 20, 1861. The Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It is in the Commercial Community Historic District.

Location

Lexington, Lafayette County, Missouri
39.18501, -93.88050

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Lafayette County Courthouse

This page lists Lafayette County Courthouse. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Lafayette County Courthouse report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Commercial Community Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
House at 1413 Lafayette St.
Pre Contact
0.2 mi
Waddell House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Old Neighborhoods Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lafayette County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Lafayette County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 21, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Lafayette County Courthouse?

Lafayette County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lafayette County Courthouse?

The period of significance for Lafayette County Courthouse is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1847.

Can I research the history near Lafayette County Courthouse?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Lafayette County Courthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Lafayette County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Lafayette County.

Explore LafayetteCounty ›

More historic places in Missouri

Browse all historic places in Missouri.

View Missourihistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Missouri history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Missourihistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Lafayette County Courthouse will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report