Berkeley Co. hires architects to help design new courthouse to replace historic building

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Berkeley County has hired architects to help design a new courthouse that they want to last for at least the next few decades.

The Berkeley County Courthouse off California Avenue in Moncks Corner was first built in 1895 and has had several renovations over the years to expand its footprint. Now, the county said they need a new building to handle future growth.

Supervisor Johnny Cribb said in the current courthouse, judges sometimes must wait for another’s docket to finish before they can process a case. He said that adds up to inmates in the jail, located next door, waiting longer for their due process.

Cribb said the county wants to process cases quicker than what’s happening at the current facility.

Councilman Josh Whitley, who works as an attorney, said judges and inmates sometimes have to use the same hallways to navigate the building.

The county has created a committee to examine the scope of need for the new building, but they do not have costs as of now and are looking at potential locations to build it.

Once the new courthouse is constructed, Cribb said the old building will become the new home to the sheriff’s office and allow them to potentially expand the jail.

“Our goal would be to have 10 to 15 courtrooms in the new courthouse,” Cribb said. “You know, right now, we have three for jury trials and six total. Our population right now – we’re serving a population of 230,000 people. We know the county is going to grow, and we know it’s going to get a lot bigger than it is now...”

County officials hope they can have the new courthouse built and move-in ready sometime in 2026.

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