Monroe County Courthouse

The Monroe County Courthouse, designed by Baumann Brothers and Company of Knoxville, was built in 1897 to replace an earlier courthouse that sat on the same site. The construction of the new courthouse coincided with plans of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad to build a new rail line linking Atlanta and Knoxville which would pass directly through Madisonville, giving the county its second major railroad line.

Built in the design of Classical Revival, the Courthouse was the center of political, social, and economic life in Monroe County for more than 100 years. From the steps of the courthouse in 1886, brothers Robert and Alf Taylor launched their famous political campaigns for governor which became known as the “War of the Roses.” In 1956, native son, United States Senator Estes Kefauver, one of the most influential congressional leaders of the 20th century, officially announced his campaign for Vice-President of the United States of America. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building continues to serve as a county courthouse and a hub of activity.