This lovely Victorian structure dates back to 1892 though it was renovated in 1936. Terrell County was named for Dr. William Terrell, a Congressman and state legislator. He also was a planter and dabbled in advances with “scientific” agriculture.
The original courthouse, located in the county seat of Dawson, was built in 1857, but it is uncertain what happened to it.
Today Dawson is the largest town in Terrell County. In fact, if you are looking for slow growth (and who isn’t, if you live in Atlanta) Terrell County may just be the place. 1860 Census figures show Terrell’s population hovering at 6,232. The official population in 2000 was 10, 970….an increase of a little over 4,700 in 140 years!
If anyone knows of any interesting trials heard in this lovely structure I’m dying to hear about them.
Georgia Courthouses is a recurring theme here at Georgia On My Mind. You can see the last one here.
6 comments:
I love that style of courthouse. With the tall clock tower it reminds me of the old Cobb County Courthouse in Marietta, Georgia. It was replaced by a complex of buildings – the county building on the same spot the courthouse was on is a glassy looking modern thing with no style or personality.
I wished the county fathers of that time saw fit to keep it. It would have made an excellent historical museum. Lumkin County made the courthouse in Dahlonega a gold museum and Union County made their old courthouse into a local history museum.
I love courthouses and I'm glad that others do too. About 10 years ago, I wanted to do a coffee table type book on Georgia courthouses. But then I found where someone already had done it.
I worked right of the square for a few years for a lawfirm, ET. I remember seeing pictures of the old Cobb County courthouse. They really lost a lovely building there.
Button, you and I think alike. I was a paralegal for many years. I also used to do title exams and background checks. I've been to many different courthouses and had though how nice it would be to travel the state and research the history of the different courthouses. Like you I was disappointed to discover a book already exisited.
Thanks for commenting guys!
There was a website showing pictures of every courthouse in Georgia. I don't know if is still around or not. Not long after I came across it I was talking to my first cousin who told me he and his wife are on a new kick. They are trying to visit every old courthouse in Georgia and take a picture of it. I told him about the website and hated that I did, I kind of took the wind out of his enthusiasm.
You squashed his dream, Eddie! ;-)
EHT, I spent almost 12 years in county government. It was nice to go to work every day in a place of such historical consequence to my area. A courthouse is literally the beating heart of a community.
But I bet you found some doozies in the various ones that you visited! Different people have a different way of keeping records. Back in the days before electronic records became the norm, it was "interesting" to see what some counties did. :-)
Button,
You are right, I have came across some doozies... not only in the way they kept dusty old records, but the caretakers themselves were sometimes "doozied"
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