Amite County Courthouse

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Amite county ms courthouse 2018.jpg

Amite County Courthouse is in Liberty, Mississippi, the county seat for Amite County, Mississippi. It was built from 1839-1840 and is the oldest extant county courthouse building in the state. It is a Mississippi Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [1] A historical marker commemorates its history. [2]

Slave auctions were held at the courthouse. Annex wings were added to the building with PWA funding in the 1930s. [3] Other additions and renovations have been made over the years. The building is red brick. [4]

Louis Allen tried to register to vote at the courthouse in the 1960s, no African American had voted in the county since the 1890s. He also spoke out about threats and violence including by the sheriff. He was beaten and murdered.

See also

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Mahan Jr.</span> American architect (1887–1967)

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Herbert Lee was an American civil rights activist in Mississippi remembered as a proponent of voting rights for African Americans in that state, who had been disenfranchised since 1890. He was a charter member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in Amite County and sought to enfranchise African-Americans by encouraging voter registration.

References

  1. NRHP nomination form
  2. "Amite County Courthouse Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org.
  3. "Property". www.apps.mdah.ms.gov.
  4. "Amite County | US Courthouses".

31°09′28″N90°48′39″W / 31.15765°N 90.81072°W / 31.15765; -90.81072