2001: The Osceola County Courthouse.

With a burgeoning population that ranked Osceola County in the nation’s 20 fastest-growing counties in the mid-1990s, court facilities were pushed well beyond the point of capacity until the present Osceola Courthouse was completed in 2001.

“The need to additional space for the judiciary in Osceola County is very critical,” Chief Judge Belvin Perry wrote to county leaders in August 1995. “Rapid growth in Osceola County has produced an equally rapid growth in felonies, misdemeanors, traffic cases, juvenile delinquency, divorces, civil disputes of all types, probate cases, and demand for all levels of court services.”

After intensive planning to assess needs for space well into the 21st century, ground was broken in November 1998, and the new, six-story red-brick courthouse, designed to complement the neighboring historic courthouse. On May 7, 2001 a ribbon cutting ceremony was held that officially opened the doors of the new courthouse. Speakers included Judge John Adams, Chief Judge Ted Coleman and Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Wells.

Click here to see a slide show of the dedication ceremonies.

The building debuted with 12 courtrooms and room for 12 more, as well as office space for judges, prosecutors, public defenders, county clerks, court administration staff and others. The basement included a 100-inmate jail.

Courthouse construction was part of a five-phase project that included the four-story county administration building that opened in July 2000, plus renovated offices on Beaumont Avenue, new parking, and restoration of the historic courthouse. That 1890 structure retains its civic presence and remains an icon of Osceola County’s heritage and government. The total cost for all the work—adding items such as new furniture and lighting of parking lots —would be $84 million, county officials said in 2001: the same amount that was planned when the project began.

The new courthouse was designed to assure security, yet maintains a traditional beauty and modern functionality. Each courtroom is wired with the latest technology, but was built with raised flooring that easily allows changes whenever newer technology emerges. It includes a grand foyer entrance with a ceremonial staircase that winds up to the fifth floor and the 140-foot clock tower. The tower height made the building Osceola County's tallest when it debuted requiring FAA clearance due to the proximity of nearby Kissimmee airport.

Today the six floor, 250,000 square foot building is a symbol of pride and heritage for the citizens of Osceola County and is poised to be a center for justice for many decades to come.

• Circuit History
  • Ninth Circuit History Outline
  • Roots of Justice
  • Statehood Brings More Formality
  • Development of Judicial Circuits
  • Court Reform
• Past Chief Judges
• Past Judges
• Orange County Courthouses
  • 1857: The Deserted Cabin on Church Street
  • 1863: First Official Courthouse
  • 1869: Small Courthouse, Complete with Hogs
  • 1875: The Courthouse that Jake Built
  • 1892: The Red Victorian Courthouse
  • 1927: Classical Temple to Justice
  • 1960: The Modern, Aqua Courthouse Annex
  • 1998: High-Rise Halls of Justice
  • The Orange County Courthouse at a Glance
• Osceola County Courthouses
  • 1890: The Red Brick Courthouse
  • 2001: The Osceola County Courthouse
• Notable Events
• Sources