Nelson County Government Center

A mixture of new construction, renovation, and adaptive reuse modernized the Nelson County Government Center. The complex consists of the 1809 historic courthouse, the 1820 jail, the 1930s jail, two 1960s era administrative additions, and the old Magistrate’s office. As the population has grown, the facilities had become woefully inadequate.

The architectural scaling and detailing of the new construction was sympathetic to the adjacent historic courthouse. The new facility consists of a new court and public safety building and renovated Old Jail and Sheriff’s Offices, which incorporates the new construction by way of a new connector. This connector serves as the new public entrance and security screening area while also providing ADA compliant access to multi-floor levels between the old and new buildings. The 1809 courthouse received a new roof and security upgrades.