19-03-2025
Six years after major fire, Loudon County Courthouse set to reopen
LOUDON, Tenn. (WATE) — Nearly six years since the historic Loudon County Courthouse was ravaged by fire, the building is ready to reopen to the public.
The 147-year-old courthouse was damaged in a fire on April 23, 2019. The fire took several hours to extinguish and led to over $1 million in damages. The county is set to hold an official open house for the building on April 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
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'It's been a long and somewhat bumpy road to get here but once you see the amazing interior and some of the changes made for efficiency, aesthetics, and safety, I think you will agree that it was worth the wait and every penny spent. It's going to be an amazing unveiling,' wrote Mayor Rollen 'Buddy' Bradshaw on Facebook.
The Loudon County Courthouse was built in 1872 by J. Wesley and Ira Napolean Clarke of Sweetwater for a cost of $14,200, according to the Loudon County TNGenWeb Project. In May 2019, Bradshaw said plans were in the works to rebuild and restore the courthouse to its former glory. He added that the bones of the structure would be used in its rebuilding. In November 2019, the stabilization phase began to make it safe for crews to get inside the building as they work toward refurbishing and reopening the courthouse.
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City of Loudon Fire Chief Mike Brubaker said the official cause of the fire was undetermined, however, based on witness interviews, photos before firefighters arrived, and electrical problems within the building before the fire, it 'most likely' started due to electrical issues.
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