Lancaster County Courthouse – Lancaster, South Carolina

This March 2009 photo and description of the Lancaster County Court House was submitted by the folks at See Lancaster, a non-profit group which promotes travel and tourism in and around the “Red Rose City.”

“Hearts sank on the morning of August 4, 2008 when residents of Lancaster, witnessed their beloved historic county courthouse burning. Fire destroyed the roof and most of the interior. Worse news was to follow when they learned a teenage suspect had been arrested for arson. The courthouse, built in 1828, retained many original features and was still in use as a hall of justice when it was set ablaze. The impressive building was designed by South Carolina native Robert Mills, who is well known as the designer of the Washington Monument in our nation’s capital.”

On March 23, 2009, just a few months after the devastating fire, roof frames were returned. The roof’s restoration uses timbers similar to the original design and each truss is signed by local firefighters, emergency workers, and government officials.

Read more about Lancaster County.

Learn more about the fire in Herald Online’s article Arson Suspected in Lancaster Courthouse Fire.