Abbeville County Courthouse
Historic Property
Street Address:
Court Square, Abbeville, South Carolina (Abbeville County)
Date Surveyed:
circa 1981
Category:
Building
Construction Date:
circa 1908
Alteration Date:
circa 1964
Historic Use:
Government
Current Use:
Government
Architect or Builder:
Edwards & Walter, Architects;Frederic Minshall of Abbeville, Contractor
Number of Stories:
2
Exterior Walls Materials:
Brick
Foundation Materials:
Brick
Signficant Architectural Features:
2 story monumental brick building; facade has portico in antis, between single bays with arches encompassing casement windows on both floors; portico has two pair of stone Ionic (scamozzi) columns, unfluted; each column has six drums; entablature has tripartite fascia of stone, and elaborate cornice with bead and reel course, then cyma reversa with break and talon ornament; then heavy dentil course; then bead and reel; then egg and dart ovolo. This five part composition is topped by a projecting fascia with a water drip; then cyma reversal, astragal, and cyma recta. All in stone. A brick attic above the entablature with a stepped parapet bears a stone course inscribed "Abbeville County Court House"; brickwork is American bond; every 6th course is alternating stretchers and headers; raked joints; entrance beneath portico is beneath wooden arch encompassing both levels; new glass double doors; original wooden casement windows on second floor. ;Side elevations: front single bay pavilion; three-bay central portion; rear three-bay; 3 story pavilion; cornice is carried around entire building; the full entablature only on the first pavilion; windows on the 2nd story (courtroom level) are arched; brick arches with stone keys (on front pavilion, stone console keystone). Other windows have flat brick arches with some stone keys and terminal voussoirs; full brick basement story; sloping site allows for second basement level at rear; thus, rear elevation is five stories. ;Interior: central hallway through building with offices at either side on 1st story and stairs at both ends; dentil cornice on hallway; front stairway has sawn and molded balustrade, paneled newel posts; 2nd floor courtroom: pedimented entrance with double doors and console brackets; courtroom has tripartite tabernacle backdrop behind bench with 3 stained glass windows; pedimented floors flank the bench; side wall has blind arches, alternating with heavy Roman Doric pilasters which carry roof beams; on opposite wall the arches contain windows; the pilasters have fluted necking bands and acanthus-leaf decorated echinuses; plain abacuses; a dentil cornice is carried across the main roof-beams; acoustical tile ceiling; metal seats with bent-plywood seats and back; metal frames are labeled "GWC." Building is connected to Opera House by 1908 arcade, 1964 2-story wing.
Alterations:
Renovated
Survey:
Abbeville - City 1981
Archives Location:
Box 9, Series 108042, Survey of historic resources (county by county data on surface properties), circa 1971-2014
