Old Manatee County Courthouse

The Old Manatee County Courthouse is a county courthouse in Bradenton featuring early Florida architectural elements including columns and distinctive window designs. The building spans multiple floors with functionally arranged spaces for different administrative and judicial purposes.

The building was constructed between 1859 and 1860 and stands as the oldest surviving Florida county courthouse from its original construction era. It endured various changes in use over generations and preserves an important chapter of the state's early judicial history.

The courthouse displays exhibits about how local government and courts worked in different time periods. These collections show visitors what daily judicial and administrative life looked like for people in the region.

The courthouse is accessible within Manatee Village Historical Park and maintains regular visiting hours with guided tour options. Plan to spend time exploring the architecture and exhibits at a comfortable pace.

After ceasing its role as a courthouse, the building took on different identities when it became a Methodist church and then a parsonage. These transformations reveal how the community adapted the structure for new purposes across different generations.