A Kaleidoscope of History The Raymond Courthouse Because of Raymond's position as the county seat the town continued to prosper and gain prominence. During the 1840's Amsterdam, Clinton and Raymond were the three leading centers in Hinds County. In 1903 S.S. Prentiss, a reporter for the Daily Clarion-Ledger, wrote an article for the paper describing the importance of these three towns during the 1840's and 1850's... "Amsterdam was the seat of commerce, Clinton was the seat of learning, and Raymond was the seat of Justice. " Raymond retained this distinction until 1859 when the county was divided into two Judicial Districts with Jackson as the county seat of the 1st district and Raymond the county seat of the 2nd district. With the growth and expansion of Raymond during these early years came the need for a new and larger courthouse. The old courthouse that stood in the middle of the town square (present site of water tower) had outgrown itself. In 1855 George Harper, editor of the Gazette, wrote an editorial in his paper urging his fellow Raymondites to support the construction of a new courthouse so as to finally end the debate over moving the county seat to Jackson. (Hinds County Gazette, Dec. 26, 1855). Obviously the citizens of Raymond felt that if a new courthouse was built - one that would represent Hinds County as well as reflect the architectural elegance of the deep south - it would prevent the moving of the county seat to Jackson.
The courthouse, Greek Revival architectural style, was constructed of brick covered with scored stucco. Innovative ideas were included by the Weldon brothers in the original plans such as central air conditioning and heating - but due to excessive cost were not installed. The plans also called for the installation of a fire extinguisher - layers of sand between the first and second floor that would extinguish any fire that broke out on the first floor - but even now after 130 years of use the extinguisher has never been put to the test. The beautiful columns, located on all four sides, were made of curved brick that was molded on the site by the slaves. These columns seemed to add the finishing touch to the courthouse and made it "in vogue" with the southern architectural style popular at the time. The fence, as well as the monument to Confederate soldiers, was added later. The beauty of the courthouse - only four years old - was temporarily marred with the blood of Confederate soldiers. By 1863 it had become a hospital for wounded soldiers as well as a courthouse.
The National Archives of History has listed the Raymond Courthouse to be one of the ten most perfect constructed buildings in the United States. Through the years many cameras have focused their attention on this beautiful courthouse not only the exterior but also the interior! The spacious rooms and halls, reminiscent of "days gone by" contain valuable records that go back as far as the year 1830. One of the proudest moments in the history of the courthouse would have been in 1904 or 1905 when the monument to the Confederate soldiers was dedicated. Veterans came to celebrate the event. The monument bears the inscription: "WE OF THE SOUTH REMEMBER; WE OF THE SOUTH REVERE." Historical notes from Mississippi Archives of History and History of Raymond, Beth Ferguson. Photos courtesy of Mrs. James Hermon (Mary) Adams. © 1998-2005, all rights reserved |