Ground broken for new Graves County courthouse

Hundreds of people gathered Monday for a dedication and groundbreaking ceremony for the new Graves County courthouse in Mayfield. 

The 24 people who lost their lives during the 2021 tornado were remembered and honored during the ceremony at the site of the old courthouse. 

County leaders revealed details about the new Graves County Administrative Building and a rendering of the $17 million facility was unveiled. Much of the cost will be covered by insurance money and FEMA funding.

Judge Executive Jesse Perry said they hope to begin the actual construction on the new courthouse later in December, but it will likely be a few years before the project is  finished. 

Earlier in the day, a groundbreaking on Old Pryorsburg Road celebrated the new Mayfield Public Works facility. 

Monday's events were major milestones in Graves County's long road to recovery, coming the day after the two-year anniversary of when the deadly EF-4 tornado tore through downtown Mayfield and caused catastrophic damage to many buildings in the historic business district.

According to the website Courthouses.us , the previous courthouse had stood for 133 years, built in 1888 at a cost of $40,000. It was the fourth courthouse built at that location.

After the county was created in 1823, the first courthouse was a log structure built at a cost of $139 and replaced in 1834 by the second courthouse which was a brick two-story structure costing $5,400.

That building was destroyed by Union troops during the Civil War leading to a third courthouse being built in 1865.