Mysteries of the Courthouse

When the oak flooring was removed in the Register of Deeds Office there was the expected wide board pine floor. What wasn't expected was the cut that went across the floor. You can see it in the picture on the left where the floor appears darker. At that line there is something that looks like the floor was cut through with a saw. The next surprise was that when the flooring was removed in the Clerk of Court's office directly across the hall, the same cut appeared. You can see it in the picture on the right. What could have been the reason for this? It is a mystery yet to be solved.

During tours of Wofford College in South Carolina, architect Ben Carter saw three buildings built by Ephraim Clayton before the time of the Polk County Courthouse. These buildings had the exact stair railing and newel post found in Polk County's Courthouse. This would lead us to believe that the railing and newel post are original to the courthouse and not part of the remodeling that was done in the 1870's or 1920's. The newel post is machine made making it very unusual for it to be found in rural North Carolina in the 1850's.


The Courthouse is in the shape of a T. While the main architectural style of the Courthouse is Greek Revival, the T shape is not. It is thought that the portico or porch and the left and right wings might have been added at a date later than the original construction. However, this has yet to be proven.

Another Mystery!

One of the most common questions asked about the courthouse concerns its orientation. Folks want to know why the front of the courthouse does not face the beautiful Polk County mountains. Why do you think the courthouse was not directed towards the mountains?

One theory includes a practice that has been nearly forgotten by modern builders. The front of the courthouse faces in a southward direction. The windows of the courtroom face east and west. Keeping the courtroom cool or "bearable" in the summer months in the 1850's was very important. Perhaps the orientation of the courthouse has a practical answer. County officials wanted citizens to be as comfortable as possible when court was in session. What do you think?

The 1999-2000 fourth grade students at Saluda School wrote mysteries with the Courthouse as its setting. These stories are still a delight to read after all these years. I wonder if any of these gifted writers went on to be authors.
Follow the links to read some of their stories.

Find out more about the Polk County Courthouse by clicking on the topics below.

Architecture	History		Interesting Finds	The Restoration
Stories of the Courthouse	Mysteries		Glossary	Activity Page

Another Mystery! One of the most common questions asked about the courthouse concerns its orientation. Folks want to know why the front of the courthouse does not face the beautiful Polk County mountains. Why do you think the courthouse was not directed towards the mountains?

The 1999-2000 fourth grade students at Saluda School wrote mysteries with the Courthouse as its setting. These stories are still a delight to read after all these years. I wonder if any of these gifted writers went on to be authors. Follow the links to read some of their stories.

Another Mystery!

One of the most common questions asked about the courthouse concerns its orientation. Folks want to know why the front of the courthouse does not face the beautiful Polk County mountains. Why do you think the courthouse was not directed towards the mountains?

The 1999-2000 fourth grade students at Saluda School wrote mysteries with the Courthouse as its setting. These stories are still a delight to read after all these years. I wonder if any of these gifted writers went on to be authors.
Follow the links to read some of their stories.