The Fayette County Courthouse building on the square is the oldest courthouse building in Georgia and dates back to 1825.
The next oldest is in Dahlonega, White County, and dates back to 1832.
We are privileged in Fayette County to have all of our original courthouse minutes. So we can verify that this building was indeed built in 1825, four years after the creation of the county, at a cost of $8,000. It was two stories with wooden floors. If you look at the north and south ends of the buildings you can see where these two stories were by the windows.
When the Fayette County Historical Society wrote the county history in 1977, we read all of the minutes in the intervening years and could see that from time to time a little fence, or some bushes would be planted.
In 1858, some serious repairs were needed and the sum of $2,598 was spent on a new roof, repairing the chimneys and to give it three coats of white paint. The original outside walls, most of which still are there, were made of bricks fired a few blocks south in town. At this time, new window panes were installed, where needed, new blinds and catches where needed, and new locks to were put on the doors.
Ten years later it was decided to enclose the Courthouse with a “neat fence” and the posts for it were to be ten inches square and were to be hewn from post oak or heart of pine. It was recorded that a sum of $275 was paid for this “neat fence.” Oh, and a sum of $10 was paid to put up horse racks around the square. Several years later the Courthouse was carpeted with cotton bags for $35.
In the 1880’s the tower was added at the South end of the building. I do not have a sum for this.
At this time, there were houses facing the south end, where there are businesses now. These residents liked to say they “faced the front of the Courthouse” and that term has prevailed. as regards the tower end. Technically, it’s a moot point.
Needless to say, by 1950 that wooden floor had really begun to sag. The state of Georgia began “suggesting” to commissions that they had to do something about it. In 1960 those officials were doing more than “suggesting.” The commissioners were told fix the problem or shut the building up. More next week.
