The old courthouse at 9 S. Main St in Waynesville

Boy Scouts in front of the old courthouse

Civil War veterans in front of the old courthouse

The new courthouse, built in 1885, at 285 N Main St in Waynesville

 

On the Courthouse Steps

For nearly two centuries, the Haywood County Courthouse has been a landmark for business, political rallies, speeches, military veteran tributes, and cultural events. Originally located in the Town Square in the vicinity of the present-day Waynesville Police Department (at 9 S Main St), the courthouse moved to its present site (at 285 N Main St) in 1885.

The Confederate veterans are some of the 1,126 county men who served in the Civil War. They are gathered for an annual reunion to honor 251 other county men lost in the War, many of whom died in Union prisons.

 

Photographs courtesy of Haywood County Historical & Genealogical Society, The Haywood County Library Digital Collection, The Shelton House

 

What does community look like in Haywood County today?