Courthouse

White County officially became established on September 11, 1806. Originally, court meetings for White County were held in Joseph Terry’s home at Rock Island. In 1809, the city of Sparta was established.[1] Soon after, the citizens of White County voted, and the east side of the Calfkiller River was chosen as the site for the courthouse.[2] Next, the county needed to finance its construction. In August 1810, the county sold plots of land to raise the funds. That same year, they successfully built the log courthouse. In 1815, the log structure was demolished, and a square, brick building was established as the second courthouse. In 1894, the iconic red, brick courthouse replaced the second courthouse. It cost $13,000 to construct, and it stood tall over Sparta’s square until 1975 when it was deconstructed to make way for the fourth courthouse.[3] In the modern day, the White County courthouse continues to stand strong at the center of Sparta's square, the same location that it has remained for over two centuries of history.

[1] Austin P. Foster, Counties of Tennessee (Tennessee: Department of Education, Division of History, 1923), 93.
[2] Historical Legends & Legacies of White County Tennessee, 6.
[3] Historical Legends & Legacies, 6.