Kansas City Region
The Lafayette County Courthouse anchors Lexington's public square
Missouri's National Register listings place the Lafayette County Courthouse on Lexington's Public Square, and the county history page explains the courthouse sequence.
The courthouse in Lexington is not just a place to find county offices. Missouri State Parks’ National Register listing page places the Lafayette County Courthouse on the Public Square in Lexington, with a 1970 National Register listing date.
The county history page gives the courthouse sequence behind that square. It says the first courthouse was built on the square in 1824-25, the second was built in 1835, and the present courthouse was occupied in 1849.
For a local reader, that explains why Lexington’s square carries so much county identity. It is where government, public records, and old river-county history meet. For a visitor or researcher, use the state National Register listing and county history page before leaning on casual stories about the building or square.
References
Where this fits: this note belongs to Lafayette County. See every local note for the county on its page.