The destruction of courthouses greatly affects genealogists in every way. 
Not only are these historic structures torn from our lives, so are the records they housed: 
marriage, wills, probate, land records, and others. Once destroyed they are lost forever. 
Even if they have been placed on mircofilm, computers and film burn too. The most 
heartbreaking side of this is the fact that many of our courthouses are destroyed at the 
hands of arsonist. However, not all records were lost.

This does NOT mean that ALL RECORDS were lost. Often, folks took their documents 
again in for recording after a disaster and later deeds will contain long chains of title, etc. 
The following list shows when courthouse fires and other disasters occurred in Tennessee. 


Bedford - 1830 (tornado), 1863 & 1934 (fires) 
Bledsoe - 1908 - (fire) 
Blount - 1879 & 1906 (fires) 
Cannon - 1934 (fire) 
Carroll - 1931 (fire) 
Carter - 1933 (fire) 
Chester - 1910 (fire) 
Claiborne - 1863 & 1931 (fires) 
Cocke - 1876 (fire) 
Coffee - 1870 (fire) 
Cumberland - 1905 (fire) 
Davidson - 1856 (fire) 
Decatur - 1869 & 1927 (fires) 
Dickson - 1830 (tornado) 
Dyer - 1864 (fire) 
Fayette - 1925 (fire) 
Fentress - 1905 (fire) 
Gibson??? - 1941 (fire) 
Giles - 1813, 1857 & 1907 (fires) 
Grainger - 1946 (fire) 
Grundy - 1853 & 1990 (fires) 
Hamilton - 1910 (fire) 
Hancock - 1885 & 1930 (fires) 
Hardeman - 1864 (fire) 
Hardin - 1859, 1864 & 1949 (fire) 
Hawkins - 1863 (fire) 
Henderson - 1896 (fire) 
Hickman - 1864 (fire) 
Humphreys - 1876 & 1898 (fires) 
Jackson - 1872 & 1926 (fires) 
 Lauderdale - 1869 (fire) 
McMinn - 1964 (fire) 
McNairy - 1881 (fire) 
Macon - 1860 & 1901 & 1932 (fires) 
Marion - 1922 (fire) 
Marshall - 1872 & 1927 (fires) 
Meigs - 1904 & 1964 (fire) 
Monroe - 1820s (fire) 1860 (razed/Civil War) 
Montgomery - 1878 & 1900 (fires) 1999 (tornado) 
Morgan - 1826 & 1870 & 1904 (fires) 
Obion - 1842 (earthquake) 
Overton - 1865 (fire) 
Perry - 1863 & 1928 (fires) 
Pickett - 1934 - (fire) 
Polk - 1895 & 1935??? (fires) 
Putnam - 1860s (burned/Civil War) 1898 (fires) 
Rhea - 1869 & 1927 (fires) 
Rutherford - 1832 (tornado) 
Scott - 1946 (fire) 
Sevier - 1856 (fire) 
Stewart - 1862 (fire/Federal troops) 
Sullivan - 1863 (fire) 
Trousdale - 1900 & 1904 (fires) 
Union - 1870s & 1969 (fires) 
Warren - 1852? (fire)? 
Washington - 1839 (fire) 
Wayne - 1973 (fire) 
Weakley - 1948 (fire) 
Wilson - 1881 (fire) 









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