Old Monroe County Courthouse (source: The Alabama Department of Archives & History)
 |
 |
| Outside the Old Courthouse | Inside the Old Courthouse |
The Old Monroe County Courthouse, designed by prominent Southern architect Andrew Bryan, was built between 1903 and 1904 during the tenure of Probate Judge Nicholas Stallworth. One of two buildings of this type designed by Bryan ( a sister courthouse in LaGrange, Georgia was destroyed by fire), the architectural style is Roamanesque with Georgian influence. It was constructed by Louisville, Kentucky contractor M. T. Lewman. The courthouse was the seat of most county offices and the site for court cases until the construction of the new courthouse in 1963. The lasting fame of this building is derived from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel To Kill A Mockingbird, as well as the motion picture of the same name which features the now-famous courtroom scene. Today this site is on the National Historic Register and is a national literary Mecca.
The old courthouse is now the Heritage Museum for Monroe. There is a brochure that lists their hours as: Monday - Friday - 0800 - 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4:00 - Saturday from 10:00 - 2:00 - closed on major holidays. Their phone number is: 251-575-7433.