HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
Lexington's 1858 stone courthouse survived the Big Fire of 1932 and a paranormal investigation that captured EVPs of women debating furniture in the old courtroom.
2 N Main St, Lexington, NC 27292
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free or low-cost admission to the historical museum; check website for current hours
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic courthouse with main-floor museum access; upper courtroom area may have limited accessibility
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1858 · 1858 Temple-Form Stone Courthouse · Survived Lexington's Big Fire of 1932 · National Register of Historic Places · Davidson County Seat of Government
The courthouse at 2 N Main Street was constructed in 1858 as a temple-form stone structure, a design that expressed civic permanence in an era when most county courthouses in the region were frame construction. It anchored Lexington's courthouse square and served as the seat of Davidson County government for over a century.
In 1932 a major fire swept through downtown Lexington — locally remembered as the 'Big Fire of 1932' — destroying or severely damaging much of the commercial district. The courthouse, built of stone, survived but required renovation work completed in 1933 that modified some of its interior spaces. The building's survival through the fire gave it a particular status in local memory as one of the few structures that bridged the pre- and post-fire downtown.
Wikipedia documents the courthouse's listing on the National Register of Historic Places and its current use as the Davidson County Historical Museum. The official museum website confirms the building's history and current function. The museum has operated in the courthouse for years and the former prison cell section in the basement has been preserved as part of the interpretive space.
Sources
The Davidson County Courthouse attracted a formal paranormal investigation by the Carolina Association of Paranormal Studies (CAPS), and the results were notable enough to be covered by DavidsonLocal.com. The CAPS team concluded the building is haunted based on their evidence, with the most striking piece being EVP recordings from the upstairs courtroom: audible voices of women discussing moving a table, with no identified source in the room at the time of recording.
The lower level, where decommissioned prison cells remain intact, produced a different category of report. CAPS documented disembodied footsteps and what investigators described as whistling emanating from near the cell block. These are consistent with the types of phenomena reported in historic jailhouse and courthouse spaces elsewhere in the region.
The investigation represents a more formal evidentiary record than many haunted locations carry — CAPS documented methodology and specific captures rather than relying solely on anecdotal visitor accounts. DavidsonLocal.com's coverage of the investigation is the primary public record of the findings.
The museum occupies the 1858 stone courthouse, one of the few structures in downtown Lexington to survive the 1932 fire. Exhibits cover Davidson County history, and visitors can see the decommissioned prison cell area where disembodied footsteps and whistling have been reported.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Henderson County's second courthouse was constructed 1904–1905 in the Classical Revival style and designed by Richard Sharp Smith, who served as resident architect of the Biltmore Estate. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and now houses the Heritage Museum.
Winston-Salem, NC
Reynolda House was completed in 1917 as the country estate of R.J. Reynolds, founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and his wife Katharine Smith Reynolds. Katharine Reynolds died in 1924 at age 44, four years after her husband. The estate was later converted into a museum of American art by their granddaughter Barbara Babcock Millhouse.