The first record found concerning the first meeting of the Board of County Commissioners was located on page 11 of volume: "Minutes of Commissioners Court", not numbered or lettered, 1862-1871, where the date of the first meeting was recorded as being held December 12, 1868.

The place of meeting of the above board was Perry, Florida, which has been the county seat since the creation of the county in 1857.

Those names as present at the first recorded meeting of the Board -- A. B. Davis, Thomas York and D. T. Blanton present Allen O'Quinn chairman the minutes of this meeting were attested by John Timmons, Clerk. (page 11 of Vol. "Minutes of Commissioners Court", not #'d or lettered, 1862-1871). The fifth menber of this Board was Wm. Grubbs who was present at the Board's next meeting - Jan. 18, 1869.

According to J. R. Jackson, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Perry has been the county seat of Taylor County since the date of its creation.

The county agencies has never occupied a temporary Court House. When a new court house was built, the old one was moved to one side and used by the court until the newer building was completed. The only record found pertaining to a "temporarily" occupied building by a county agency was found in the minutes of the Board at a meeting held April 12, 1869 -- "Ordered that James W. Wentworth be paid two dollars for the use of a store room for Grand Jury at Spring Term 1869 of Circuit Court (page 17, of "Minutes of Commissioners Court", not numbered or lettered, May 5, 1862- Feb. 9, 1871).


No record of the first courthouse of Taylor County was found in any records of the county. However, Mr. Abner Parker of Perry, one of the county's oldest citizens (age 85) stated in an interview with the writer on February 6, 1940 that the first court house that he could remember was a one room log building approximately 20 ft. by 18 ft. containing only a judge's stand, some benches and one window and the above building stood on the plot where the present court house now stands. Mr. Parker spoke of the fact that when he "was a yearling of a boy" that the judge's stand was raised and another window added in the building. This fact is verified by an order recorded in the minutes of the county commissioners at a meeting held Aug. 6, 1869 -- "Ordered that the Sheriff of Taylor County have the following repairs to the C. H., (sic) raise the Judge's stand two or two and one half feet higher. Put a window in the west side four and one half feet long and tow and one half feet wide" (Page 23 Vol. "Minutes of Commissioners Court", not numbered or lettered, May 5, 1926 - Feb. 9, 1871).  The above is the first record concerning a court house in the county.

The next record mention of a court house is an order recorded in the minutes of the Board held March 22, 1870 -- "Ordered that the Clerk and Chairman of the Board be appointed to draft a plan and estimate the cost of building a clerk and Sheriff's Office" (Page 26 of Vol. "Minutes of Commissioners Court", not numbered or lettered, 1862-71). No further mention or record of the above order was found. However, on page 28 of the above reference, the Board at a meeting held April 2, 1870 made the following order; "Ordered that the Chairman of the Board be empowered to arrange for a loan not to exceed two thousand dollars and the Clerk be authorized to issue bonds for same at 8% interest for the purpose for building a court house and jail".  No further mention or record of the above was found.

The next record concerning a court house for the county was made when the Board at a meeting held May 1, 1873 -- "Ordered that we have a court house built 30 feet square with 4 rooms below, one for Grand Jury, one for Piiti Jury, one for the Clerk and one for the Judge of Probate with the court room above 30 feet square 8 feet from the first floor to the second. We apporate 300 dollars for purchase (sic) material to build said Court House. We advertise for the building to be let out on the first Monday in June to the lowest bidder. A plan can be seen at the Clerk's office at any time." (Page 56, order #121 of Vol. "County Commissioners Docket" not numbered or lettered, 1871-1881).

"It is ordered that A. J. Cruce act as agent on building Court House to employ hands to perform the labor at such prices as he may deem sufficient" (Page 61, order 134 of Vol. "County Commissioners Docket, "not numbered or lettered).

According to an order made by the Board at a meeting held Dec. 15, 1873, the building was completed according to contract -- "Ordered that J. J. Faulk be paid the sum of 300 dollars for building court house, the clerk to issue order for same--" (Page 81 Vol. "County Commissioners Docket", 1871-1881).