House Resolution 95

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE RICH AND HISTORICAL LEGACY OF THE BENTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, LOCATED IN ASHLAND, MISSISSIPPI, UPON THE OCCASION OF ITS SESQUICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY, ACKNOWLEDGING 150 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE AS A MISSISSIPPI HISTORICAL LANDMARK.

WHEREAS, designed by George Wilson Patrick and completed in 1873, the Benton County Courthouse will celebrate its Sesquicentennial Anniversary, acknowledging 150 years of rich and historical excellence as a Mississippi Historical Landmark; and

WHEREAS, the Benton County Courthouse was completed and occupied for use three years after Benton County was established in 1870 from portions of the territory forming Tippah and Marshall Counties, and two years after Mr. Lewis J. McDonald donated land on August 7, 1871, to establish and incorporate the Town of Ashland as the county seat; and

WHEREAS, in the late 1990s, the county offices and the court system were moved out of the facility to another location in the town and the building stood empty, except a short stay by the Benton County Board of Education; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, the Ashland-Benton County Historic Preservation Commission, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was formed in order to begin work on the preservation of county history and moved into the Benton County Courthouse, and joined in occupancy in 2017 by the Benton County Historical Society; and

WHEREAS, shortly after the joint occupancy, work began immediately to provide a museum displaying documents, artifacts and assisting residents and their descendants in genealogy research, which remains open to the public for viewing and genealogy assistance; and

WHEREAS, located in the heart of Ashland, the Benton County Courthouse was designated as a Mississippi Historical Landmark by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History in 2019, and a distinctive historical marker was erected on the lawn of the front entrance; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the Benton County Courthouse's historical landmark designation, the building is located with 14 miles of eight other markers denoting the rich historical heritage of Benton County and its inhabitants, including those honoring: the Benton County Veterans Memorial, Nathan Bedford Forrest, Willie Mitchell Blues Trail Marker, Davis Mill, the Mississippi Central Railroad Campaign, Macedonia Baptist Church, Blue Mountain College and the Southern Liberty Festival; and

WHEREAS, on July 4, 2023, the Ashland-Benton County Historic Preservation Commission will provide an all-day anniversary celebration for the Benton County Courthouse on the lawn of this beautiful building and around the square; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize the historical significance of such iconic buildings as the Benton County Courthouse:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend the rich and historical legacy of the Benton County Courthouse, located in Ashland, Mississippi, and congratulate the county upon the occasion of their Sesquicentennial Anniversary, acknowledging 150 years of the facility's completion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the Benton County Board of Supervisors, the Ashland-Benton County Historic Preservation Commission and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.