“L” is for Lancaster Courthouse and Jail. As part of the internal improvements campaign carried out by the South Carolina Board of Public Works in the 1820s, Robert Mills designed at least fourteen courthouses and fourteen jails throughout the state. The Lancaster County courthouse and jail are among the best surviving examples of his work in this period. Set on a raised basement, the two-story brick courthouse is characterized by Palladian symmetry and features a pedimented portico with modified Tuscan columns. The courthouse has remained in use since its construction. Its elegant styling makes it one of the most refined examples of Mills’ early public buildings. The jail, one block from the courthouse, is a two-story stuccoed masonry building with few exterior features. The Lancaster Courthouse and Jail were designated as National Landmarks in 1973.
“L” is for Lancaster Courthouse and Jail
