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List of county courthouses in Georgia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The U.S. state of Georgia is divided into 159 counties, more than any other state except for Texas, which has 254 counties. In Georgia, county seats typically have a courthouse at a town square. Courthouses in Georgia have been replaced for a variety of reasons. Courthouses have typically been replaced over time due to natural wear on courthouses, being destroyed in the Civil War, or communities outgrowing their current courthouse. When county seats have been moved, a new courthouse was typically constructed. Courthouses in Georgia have also been destroyed by disasters including fire, tornadoes, war, and arson. The most recent county courthouse to suffer a disaster was the burning of Hancock County, Georgia's courthouse in August 2014.

History

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The architectural style of courthouses in Georgia has varied over time and from region to region.

Antebellum

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It was common for the first courthouse of a county on the frontier to be a log cabin type structure. Houses being repurposed for county courthouses was not an uncommon method for a county acquiring a courthouse. Courthouses often doubled as churches and schools before the 1900s. During Georgia's colonial period the area was subdivided into parishes. Some parishes did have the equivalent of county courthouses. No county courthouses in Georgia from the 1700s currently survive.[1]

By the mid-1800s it became common for courthouses to still be made of wood, but out of wood that had been processed into boards instead of unhewed logs. The Old Marion County Courthouse in Tazewell, Georgia and the Old Chattahoochee County Courthouse are only two surviving wooden courthouses in Georgia. Neither are currently in use as a courthouse. County seats of areas with larger populations often built courthouses made out of bricks before counties from more rural areas. Vernacular architecture was a common style. Greek Revival was another common pre-Civil War architectural style for county courthouses.[2]

American Civil War

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During the American Civil War, twelve county courthouses were destroyed by Union troops. In June 1863, the courthouse of McIntosh County at Darien was destroyed by Union Troops along with most of the town. Dade County was destroyed in 1863 during the Chattanooga Campaign. Catoosa County's courthouse at Ringgold was saved from destruction by William Tecumseh Sherman when he learned it was also a Masonic lodge.[3]

The courthouses of Cherokee County, Clayton County, Cobb County, Polk County, and Whitfield County were destroyed in 1864 during the Atlanta Campaign. The courthouses of Bulloch, Butts, Screven County, Washington County, and Wilkinson County were destroyed during Sherman's March to the Sea in 1864.[4]

Bibb County Courthouse, Macon, Georgia circa 1876

Reconstruction to the 1920s

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By the late 1800s, brick courthouses were more common than they had been earlier in the century. Many courthouses were being constructed in styles more elaborate than the typical vernacular architecture, which had previously been common. Neoclassical, Italianate, and Romanesque were the most common architectural styles of county courthouses during the late 1800s. High Victorian Gothic and Second Empire were also common.[5]

Works Progress Administration

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During the 1930s, the Works Progress Administration assisted many county governments with building new courthouses and renovating older courthouses. Stripped Classicism and Colonial Revival were two of the more common styles during the 1930s.[6]

Post-World War II courthouses

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After World War II, Neoclassical architecture had been surpassed by Modern architecture as the top style for new courthouses. When modern architecture was not used as the style of a new courthouse, it was often due to an attempt to replicate the appearance of a previous. By the 1980s, many counties began to replace their historic courthouses with judicial complexes. Most offices would be transferred to the new building, but some would remain in the old courthouses.[7]

Surviving original county courthouses

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It is uncommon for counties to still have their original courthouse. The surviving county courthouses that were their county's first courthouse are:[8]

A county still having their previous county courthouse in existence is not uncommon. Many previous county courthouses have been repurposed as museums. It is rare for a county to have more than one previous county courthouse still in existence, or to have a courthouse still in existence other than the one immediately preceding their current one. The Old Bartow County Courthouse, 1869 Clayton County Courthouse, Floyd County Courthouse, and the Old Spalding County Courthouse are examples of such courthouses. The only surviving courthouse from a town that is not the current county seat is the Old Marion County Courthouse in Tazewell, Georgia.[9]

Oldest courthouses

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The ten oldest of Georgia's county courthouses still in existence are:[10]

The ten oldest of Georgia's county courthouses currently in use as courthouses are:[11]

County courthouse listing

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jordan, Robert H.; Puster, J. Gregg (1984). Courthouses in Georgia. Harrison Company. ISBN 9780910694018.
  2. ^ Jordan, Robert H.; Puster, J. Gregg (1984). Courthouses in Georgia. Harrison Company. ISBN 9780910694018.
  3. ^ "Counties". GEORGIAINFO: An Online Georgia Almanac. Digital Library of Georgia. 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  4. ^ "Counties". GEORGIAINFO: An Online Georgia Almanac. Digital Library of Georgia. 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  5. ^ Jordan, Robert H.; Puster, J. Gregg (1984). Courthouses in Georgia. Harrison Company. ISBN 9780910694018.
  6. ^ Jordan, Robert H.; Puster, J. Gregg (1984). Courthouses in Georgia. Harrison Company. ISBN 9780910694018.
  7. ^ Jordan, Robert H.; Puster, J. Gregg (1984). Courthouses in Georgia. Harrison Company. ISBN 9780910694018.
  8. ^ "Counties". GEORGIAINFO: An Online Georgia Almanac. Digital Library of Georgia. 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  9. ^ Jordan, Robert H.; Puster, J. Gregg (1984). Courthouses in Georgia. Harrison Company. ISBN 9780910694018.
  10. ^ "Counties". GEORGIAINFO: An Online Georgia Almanac. Digital Library of Georgia. 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  11. ^ "Counties". GEORGIAINFO: An Online Georgia Almanac. Digital Library of Georgia. 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  12. ^ "Counties". GEORGIAINFO: An Online Georgia Almanac. Digital Library of Georgia. 2017. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  13. ^ "Court House Burned". The Macon Telegraph and Messager. Macon, Georgia. September 9, 1876. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  14. ^ Wilson, Asia (October 29, 2018). "Baker Co. voting precinct destroyed during Hurricane Michael". WALB. Albany, Georgia. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  15. ^ "Court House Burnt". Southern Recorder. Milledgeville, Georgia. February 26, 1861. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  16. ^ "Correspondence of the Morning News". Daily Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. May 28, 1856. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  17. ^ "Fire in Waynesboro". Central Georgian. Sandersville, Georgia. January 31, 1856. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  18. ^ "We are sorry to hear..." Georgia Courier. Augusta, Georgia. February 14, 1828. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  19. ^ "The court house". Bainbridge Democrat. Bainbridge, Georgia. December 17, 1891. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  20. ^ Huxford, Folks (1916). History of Clinch County, Georgia. Macon, Georgia: J. W. Burke Company. p. 46.
  21. ^ "Courthouse Fire Licks at Dynamite Cache". Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. May 4, 1952.
  22. ^ "The court house..." Houston Home Journal. Perry, Georgia. October 13, 1898. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  23. ^ "Courthouse Burns in Coffee County". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. November 26, 1938.
  24. ^ "Fire". Home Journal. Perry, Georgia. March 17, 1881. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  25. ^ "Dade Court House Burnt". Savannah Daily Georgian. Savannah, Georgia. April 20, 1853. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  26. ^ "DeKalb Courthouse Destroyed by Blaze". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. September 14, 1916.
  27. ^ "Court House Burnt". The Georgia Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. May 18, 1847. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  28. ^ "Court House Consumed". Macon Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. January 5, 1898. Retrieved May 12, 2017.
  29. ^ "Fire at Swainsborough". Daily Chronicle and Sentinel. Augusta, Georgia. May 5, 1841. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  30. ^ "Court House Burns Down". The Home journal. Perry, Georgia. June 5, 1919. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  31. ^ "Courthouse fire suspect denied planning arson". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. October 6, 1982.
  32. ^ "DOI Called on Cumming Courthouse Fire". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. November 7, 1973.
  33. ^ "Notice of Levy of Special Tax". The Brunswick Times. Brunswick, Georgia. September 22, 1897. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  34. ^ "'Twas not like Banquo's Ghost". The Brunswick Times. Brunswick, Georgia. March 4, 1897. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  35. ^ "To Welcome Friends In New Home". The Brunswick News. Brunswick, Georgia. February 23, 1908. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  36. ^ "Old Cairo Courthouse Burns Down". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. February 19, 1980.
  37. ^ "Court House Burned". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. September 15, 1871.
  38. ^ "FIRES!". Southern Banner. Athens, Georgia. December 25, 1851.
  39. ^ Womack, Amy (August 11, 2014). "Cause undetermined for fire that destroyed Hancock County Courthouse". Macon Telegraph. Macon Georgia. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  40. ^ Carter, Margaret-Ann; Key, Randy (May 11, 2016). "Hancock County Courthouse Rises From The Ashes". News Channel 6 WJBF. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  41. ^ "Burning of Heard County's Courthouse". Herald and Advertiser. Newnan, Georgia. March 16, 1894. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  42. ^ "Houston Has Had Three Courthouses In Its 153 Years". Houston Home Journal. Perry, Georgia. June 6, 1974. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  43. ^ "Court House Burnt". Southern Recorder. Milledgeville, Georgia. March 30, 1858.
  44. ^ "Another Court House Burnt". Southern Banner. Athens, Georgia. July 1, 1858. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  45. ^ "Building A New Courthouse". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. March 13, 1904.
  46. ^ "Festival Scheduled April 1". Houston Home Journal. Perry, Georgia. March 23, 1978. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  47. ^ "We regret to hear..." Albany Patriot. Albany, Georgia. March 5, 1857. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  48. ^ "A Court House Burnt - Great Excitement - Valuable Documents Lost". Columbus enquirer. Columbus, Georgia. March 10, 1857. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  49. ^ "Festival Scheduled April 1". Houston Home Journal. Perry, Georgia. March 23, 1978. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  50. ^ "Another Fire". Savannah Daily Republican. Savannah, Georgia. November 13, 1845. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  51. ^ "Letter From Darien". Savannah Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. January 31, 1873. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  52. ^ "Mysterious fire rekindles history". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. December 13, 1981.
  53. ^ "Meriwether Keeps Sprouting New Courthouses". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. February 16, 1878.
  54. ^ Caldwell, Wilber (2001). The Courthouse and the Depot. Mercer University Press. p. 282. ISBN 9780865547483.
  55. ^ "State Items". Newnan Herald. Newnan, Georgia. January 26, 1867. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  56. ^ "Court House Burned". Georgia Constitutionalist. Augusta, Georgia. September 3, 1844. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  57. ^ "The following is an extract..." Chronicle and sentinel. Augusta, Georgia. October 16, 1838. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  58. ^ "Covingtons was the scene..." Early County News. Blakely, Georgia. January 3, 1884. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  59. ^ "Georgia Courthouse Is Razed By Flames". Butler Herald. Butler, Georgia. May 12, 1938. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  60. ^ "Arson Probed In Peach Fire". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. December 10, 1969.
  61. ^ "Incendiarism at Blackshear". Savannah Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. March 13, 1875. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  62. ^ Dixon, Dawn (June 11, 2008). "Making a home out of history". Blackshear Times. Blackshear, Georgia. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  63. ^ "Old Courthouse Being Razed". Butler Herald. Butler, Georgia. October 28, 1937. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  64. ^ "Georgia Town Has A Bad Blaze". Sandersville Herald. Sanderville, Georgia. January 14, 1897. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  65. ^ "Stewart County Courthouse Destroyed Fire Early Today". Daily Times Enterprise. Thomasville, Georgia. April 21, 1922. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  66. ^ "They have a nice reason..." Butler Herald. Butler, Georgia. May 10, 1934. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
  67. ^ Hilt, Kathy (February 6, 2024). "The End of Era; The Beginning of Another". Southeast Georgia Today. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  68. ^ "Twiggs Courthouse Was Burned to the Ground". Macon Telegraph. Macon, Georgia. February 8, 1901. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  69. ^ "Court House Burnt". Southern Banner. Athens, Georgia. May 15, 1856.
  70. ^ "Layfayette Courthouse Burned". Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. February 3, 1883.
  71. ^ Jordan, Robert H.; Puster, J. Gregg (1984). Courthouses in Georgia. Harrison Company. p. 171. ISBN 9780910694018.
  72. ^ "Destructive Fire at Waycross". Savannah Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. October 14, 1874. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  73. ^ "Disastrous Fire". Daily Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. April 27, 1854. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  74. ^ "Loss $60,000 in Big Blaze". Atlanta Georgian and News. Atlanta, Georgia. April 7, 1909. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  75. ^ "Sandersville in Ruins". Southern Recorder. Milledgeville, Georgia. March 27, 1855. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  76. ^ "Grand Jury Presentments". Central Georgian. Sandersville, Georgia. March 21, 1866. Retrieved August 21, 2017.
  77. ^ "Webster Courthouse Damaged by Fire". Grady County Progress. Cairo, Georgia. October 2, 1914. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  78. ^ "Burning of the Wilcox County Courthouse". Savannah Morning News. Savannah, Georgia. March 27, 1878. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  79. ^ "The court-house..." Southern Recorder. Milledgeville. February 4, 1854. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  80. ^ "Court House Burned". Albany News. Albany, Georgia. January 30, 1879. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  81. ^ "Court House Burnt". Weekly Sumter Republican. Americus, Georgia. October 29, 1880. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  82. ^ "Fire at Isabella". Americus Times-Recorder. Americus, Georgia. August 10, 1893.
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