Elbert County GaArchives News.....Elbert Loses Landmark Where Court First Sat in 1791 May 5, 1968
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Chandler Eavenson http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00030.html#0007294 July 1, 2007, 11:55 pm

The Atlanta Journal & Constittion May 5, 1968
The following article, authored by Herbert Wilcox, Atlanta Journal-Constitution 
Correspondent, appeared in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution on 5 May 1968: 
"Tax Woes Even Then - Elbert Loses Landmrk Where Court First Sat in 1791. 
Elberton, GA - Elbert County lost one of its most historic landmarks when the 
building in which the county's first session of superior court was held burned. 
This court convened on Jan 20, 1791 in the home of Thomas A. Carter. The 
presiding judge was George Walton, one of the signers of the Declaration of 
Independence. The Carter home was located about four miles from Elberton on
a beautiful site overlooking Beaverdam creek. This was near where - probably 
100 years later - Elberton built an electric plant that was run by the creek.
A study of the records of this first session of court shows that it was a busy
session, and indicates that early citizens - even as current ones - were 
inclined to stray from the straight and narrow path. Some of their offenses 
are with us to this dy, while others are rarely heard of now. A list of the 
cases presented to the grand jury included horse stealing, profane swearing, 
assault, selling spirits, rape and murder.It appears that in those early days 
justice could move with considerable speed.The man who was charged with murder 
was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged, of all times, on Feb. 22. And on
Washington's birthday, officers of the law took him across the creek to a big 
oak and carried out the sentence. This court also appointed the 12 justices 
of peace - one for each district - for the new county, as well as appointing 
the road commissioners. Taxes worried Elbert Countians 177 years ago, even as
they do today, and one matter that came before the grand jury was a complaint 
that at Petersburg tobacco was not accepted in payment of general taxes. The 
record does not show what was done about this. In this court T. P. Carnes was
attorney general, a position that is now called the solicitor. Mathew Tolbot 
was clerk of the court, and William Moss was foreman of the grand jury. The 
Carter home, in which this court was held 177 years ago, must hve been built 
almost 200 years ago. Anyway, it was already there when Elbert County was 
created. It was built of fine materials, and was not built for a public 
building. One feature was a walled cellar, which was said to have been the 
place where prisoners were confined at the time court was held in the home. 
The property is now owned by [name withheld] who had just completed remodeling
the house when it burned this past week. 

Additional Comments:
A photo of the house and the cellar thereof were included with the article. 

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