The Polk County Courthouse, built in 1909 and added to in 1926, is an impressive example of the Neoclassical Revival style.  It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and became the home of the Polk County Historical Museum in 1998.  This structure is the third courthouse on this site.  Polk County’s early growth and development can be tied to the arrival of the railroad and the discovery of phosphate, both of which happened in the 1880s.  The original part of the building was designed by E.C. Hosford, who was the architect of numerous courthouses in the Neoclassical Revival style in Florida, Georgia and Texas.  The 1926 additions were designed by Francis Joseph Kennard, who also supervised the building of the Tampa Bay Hotel and was the designer of the Belleview Biltmore and courthouses in Lee and Pinellas Counties.

SPS was involved in a number of different aspects of the renovation of the Old Polk County Courthouse.  On the interior, we made repairs to the plaster and did some decorative painting.  In addition, we restored windows and did masonry work—including limestone repairs and pointing.