by Wesley Harris
Claiborne Parish Library Historian
The parish seat—thus the courthouse—was first housed in John Murrell’s home before it moved to Russellville, then Overton, then to Athens, and finally to Homer.
The Claiborne Parish courthouse, then located in Athens, was destroyed by fire on November 7, 1849. The fire, the suspected work of an arsonist, destroyed all the parish records.
The first courthouse built in Homer in 1855 lasted only three years before it became so dilapidated that it was condemned in 1858. Its replacement, the current building, has been in continuous use for 162 years.
The current courthouse was completed on September 3, 1861, at a cost of $12,304.36. It was constructed of red brick made from local clay fired in a kiln and lumber cut from Bayou D’arbonne’s middlefork bottomland.
The original lawn extended 45 feet from each side of the courthouse. Ground was eventually lost to the widening of the surrounding streets.
Several cisterns were built into the courthouse lawn. Piping carried rainwater from the roof into the cisterns. It is unknown how many cisterns remain underground.
The red brick exterior of the courthouse was covered in plaster sometime in the early decades of the 20th century.
At one time, restrooms were added underneath the courthouse. They were accessed by descending steps outside the building. They have since been sealed.
A historical marker was placed on the courthouse grounds in 1957.
On December 5, 1962, the Claiborne Parish Police Jury passed a resolution to call for a tax election to tear down the courthouse and build a new one. The vote came just six months after a ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the building and its “excellent state of repair.” Five days after the first vote, the Police Jury met again to rescind that action and ask for a millage increase to make improvements to the building.
In 1964, renovations to the building cost $123,162.93.
At one time, political rallies were common occurrences on the courthouse lawn.
The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, signifying its importance to Homer and Claiborne Parish history.
A Confederate soldier memorial weighing 8,000 pounds was added to the lawn in 1940. The statue was paid for by private donations and was removed in 2020. It is displayed elsewhere in Claiborne Parish.