The oldest courthouse building in Georgia, sits right here in downtown Fayetteville. Built in 1825 at a cost of $8,000, there has been millions of dollars spent on it since then.
Though it is three stories now, at that time it had two stories, with a wooden floor in between.
Needless to say, after 125 years that wooden floor began to sag badly and the commissioners at that time were told by the state to do something about it.
Finally by the 1960s, something was done.
All offices were stuffed elsewhere around town and that wooden floor was removed. Also a long wooden beam that had been in the ceiling just under the roof was taken out. I got the bright idea to put it outside as a bench, and it was. It is now in need of attention and that is one of the items on the current commissioners list.
Two concrete and steel floors were installed, making it now a three-story building. A new tile roof was created, and two large safe-rooms were created, one for Superior Court and one for Probate Court, as I recall.
The building hummed along until Easter Sunday night, April 11, 1982, when two criminals had a case coming up the next morning on the third floor courtroom. They decided if they burned the courthouse down, they would be forgotten about. Leaving out details of that event at this time, let’s go to the sums needed to replace the burned out roof, and the burned out top of the tower.
Three of five commissioners wanted to tear it all down and build a brand new administration building sitting in a park setting. Cooler heads prevailed and it was restored to its former glory.
However, this was done at a cost of $1.1 million (that’s with an “m”) to put it back as it was before the fire.
That was over 30 years ago and “my” courthouse is again needing attention.
I’ve already mentioned that bench on the south side needing immediate preservation methods, it needs up-to-date electrical work, their are 100 cornices around the roof that need re-doing, the original ones and the replacements in 1983 were each done by hand and I have my fingers crossed they will be done by hand again, sections of the exterior walls need attention and I am assuming these will all be done by workers who have a reverence for the building they are working on.
The estimated cost is going to be $350,000 and change. Anyone disagreeing with keeping the Queen in repair, is welcome to send me an email and we’ll discuss the matter.
