The Covington County Courthouse and Jail is a historic courthouse in Andalusia, the seat of Covington County, Alabama. It was built from 1914–1916 along with a jail. Together, the buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.HistoryThe 1916 courthouse is the fifth to serve Covington County. The fourth courthouse was built of brick in 1896 in the center of Courthouse Square (which sits in front of the current courthouse). When the Central of Georgia Railway reached Andalusia in 1899, followed shortly by the Alabama and Florida Railroad, the town saw massive growth; population rose from 270 at the 1890 census to 2,480 by 1910. Having outgrown the prior courthouse, construction on a new courthouse began in 1914 and was completed in 1916. A jail was built behind the courthouse.ArchitectureCourthouseThe courthouse is designed in a Beaux-Arts style, common among public buildings in the early 20th century. The original portion of the building is rectangular and built of combed granite. Two wings were built onto the rear of the building, which were later enclosed in the middle.At the center of the façade is a hexastyle portico with Corinthian columns supporting a denticulated triangular pediment. A medallion with a clock adorns the pediment. Three entry doors, since replaced with modern medal-frame doors, are separated by Corinthian pilasters and topped with a simple lintel. The doors are flanked by semi-domed niches. On the second floor, three sets of three stacked windows sit above the entry.
