Harlan County Courthouse ~ Harlan, Kentucky - Courthouses on Waymarking.com

"This beautiful courthouse sits in the center of town, which is surprisingly large. Based on historic population figures, Harlan County now has less than a third of the population that it had back in the 1930s. This large and beautiful courthouse was built during this boom time in Harlan, from 1918 through 1922. It is a two story Beaux-Arts style structure built of stone. It is actually the fifth courthouse constructed in Harlan, and the second on this site.


The initial site for the first three courthouses in Harlan located on a mound in the city, which due to this mound was initially called Mount Pleasant. Turns out that this was an Indian burial mound, as further digging an excavation during the building of subsequent buildings onsite revealed bones and other artifacts. When the courthouse was moved to the present site pictured above, the old courthouse remained, and was later used as a meeting hall and Masonic lodge.

Sitting on the courthouse lawn is a monument to those who were killed in coal mines. Coal mining remains an important part of Harlan and its history. Repeated attempts to organize labor and the related conflict between mine owners and their security led to a great deal of violence in the region, and the nickname "Bloody Harlan" being attached to the area. The National Guard was even called in May 5, 1931, in response to violence surrounding a strike.

The courthouse itself was the scene of many heated contests over land suits, mineral rights, settlement cases for disabled miners and widows. In its mining heyday, Harlan was bustling with activity and the courthouse was at the center of it all."

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Harlan is the site of a criminal case in which a man, Condy Dabney, was convicted in 1924 of murdering a person who was later found alive.

Year Built: 1918–1922 Current Use of Building: Judicial Level of Courts: State/Provincial Architect: C. C. & E. A. Weber Dates this building was used to house judicial proceedings: 1922 - present Physical Address: 129 S 1st St, Harlan, KY 40831. Hours: Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Related Website: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/30/2019 Manville Possum visited it