Hinds County Courthouse (Raymond, Mississippi)
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Hinds County Courthouse
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Raymond Courthouse
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| Location | E. Main and N. Oak Sts., Raymond, Mississippi |
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| Coordinates | 32°15′37″N 90°25′24″W / 32.26028°N 90.42333°WCoordinates: 32°15′37″N 90°25′24″W / 32.26028°N 90.42333°W |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architect | Weldon, George; Weldon, Thomas |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| MPS | Raymond and Vicinity MRA |
| NRHP Reference # | 86001706 |
| Added to NRHP | July 15, 1986 |
Hinds County Courthouse in Raymond, Mississippi, also known as Raymond Courthouse, was built in 1857. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Hinds County Courthouse, built during 1857-1859, is "celebrated as one of the state's finest Greek Revival public buildings". It was built by George and Tom Weldon, an architectural and contracting firm from the Natchez area that also designed the 1858 Old Warren County Courthouse in Vicksburg, 45 miles east, which is a National Historic Landmark. The design of the courthouse is credited to Jackson, a slave who worked as a draftsman for the Weldon brothers and also designed the Old Warren County Courthouse. As was true for many antebellum buildings, the workmen were also skilled slaves."
The Hinds County Courthouse in Raymond, Mississippi was constructed by the famous Weldon Brothers of Woodville, Mississippi in the Greek Revival Style and has been rated by the National Archives of History as one of the ten most perfectly constructed buildings in the United States. The Weldons were Scotch-Irish immigrants and were credited with the design and construction of numerous public and private buildings of the era including the Warren County Courthouse in Vicksburg. The Weldons trained 100 slaves in construction techniques and began construction in 1857 with completion in 1859.
The courthouse is an excellent example of the Greek Revival Style as it was applied to public buildings in the period which dated from 1820 to 1861and was near its end at the time of construction of the Hinds County Courthouse. Among the Building's contemporaries of equal historic importance are the Old State Capitol Building in Jackson, built in 1839, the Mississippi Governor's Mansion, built in 1842, and the Jackson City Hall, built in 1847. Of these four, the Courthouse at Raymond is unique in that its design is attributed to John Jackson, an African-American employed by the Weldons, perhaps, one of the building's most historic features.
The building's walls are constructed of load bearing masonry with stucco coating scored to resemble stone. All four elevations of the two-story rectangular building have two-story porticos with Doric columns and pedimented gables also constructed of load bearing masonry with stucco coating. The front and rear porticos have six columns and the side portico have four columns. An entrance to the first and second floors is located on each facade. The entrances on the second floor open onto balconies with cast iron railings. The corners of the building are accentuated with massive Doric pilasters. The first floor windows are six-over-nine double hung sash with iron shutters found on each side. The second floor windows are nine-over-nine double hung sash without shutters. Cast iron pediments top each window and entrance. Some of the buildings original innovations such as the forced air furnace were cut due to cost restraints. The Building, from its massive timber attic framing to the handmade brick and mortar that form its walls, is constructed almost entirely of locally produced materials. The cast iron detailing of the window surrounds speak to the early pioneer days of the Industrial Revolution and modern prefabrication techniques.
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