Monroe County GaArchives News.....Court Houses - Flint Circuit March 18, 1897
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Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 April 28, 2005, 3:02 pm

Jackson Argus - Week Of March 18, 1897. March 18, 1897
COURT HOUSES
Flint Circuit

BUTTS - MONROE – HENRY – PIKE

BUTTS COUNTY - She Will Have the Finest Court House In the Flint Circuit.

The plans for the new court house in Jackson have not yet been adopted, but the
various members of the committee, and especially the able ordinary, Judge
Carmichael, are engaged in an intelligent inspection of various plans with a
view of selecting one that will eliminate all the mistakes of those that have
been built in neighboring counties, and at the same time include all their
strong points.

The committee has wisely concluded that it is the part of economy to visit
certain counties that have recently built new court houses, take notes and
compare data.   In this way they will not only be better prepared to hit upon
wiser plans, but they will be able to save the county money in the letting of
contract

Judge Carmichael said the other day:
“The committee is going to know exactly what it is doing. When the plans are
adopted and before the contract is let I am going to know how many brick it will
take for the new court house, how many barrels of lime, how many running feet of
stone and how many feet of lumber.  I am gong to know just the quantity of all
materials used and then by ascertaining prices be able to figure intelligently
on what the house will cost finished.  You can rest assured that we are not
going into this matter carelessly.  We are not going to pay $20,000 for a
$14,000 court house, but when we pay $20,000 we are going to have a $20,000 house.”

Every move of the committee up to this time has been in the right direction and
it is doubtful if a court house in Georgia has ever had on it building committee
a more capable body of men than those who compose the Butts county committee.



MONROE COUNTY- Has a Fine Court House at a Cost of $24,000 and the  
                                              People Are Very Proud of It.

Monroe county has recently erected a new court house which is an ornament to the
city of Forsyth and a grand living monument to the intelligence, culture,
progressiveness and public spirit of her citizenship.

This building was completed about the first part of November last.  The new
court house is 70 x 90 feet, and the interior thereof well and conveniently
arranged. The lower floor contains eight elegant office rooms, three fireproof
vaults and water closet, two spacious halls and stairways.   There are four
entrances, the main entrance being in the east front, the floor of the entrances
being of marble tiling and the steps to each of granite.

On the second floor in the west end are located two traverse jury rooms each
with an entrance to the jury docks, the judge’s private office and the
solicitor’s office, those offices opening into a hallway in rear of judge’s
stand.  In the east end are located the grand jury room and reception room for
female witnesses who may be required to attend upon the court, a spacious
halfway connecting these rooms.  The remainder of the upper floor comprises the
court room which is large, beautifully and elegantly finished.

The ventilation of the building is excellent, while every department of it is
heated by furnaces judiciously located in the basement and so arranged as to
distribute the heat well throughout the entire building.

On the third floor is also a spacious room fitted up to meet the emergencies of
tied up juries.   The exterior wall is of pressed brick interspersed with
colitse limestone, while the architecture of the building is attractive to the
eye.   A substantial and pretty tower, proportioned in dimensions to the size of
the building, rises above the east front and in the tower is located a superb
clock.

The contract price for the building was $24,000 and it is pronounced by those
who visit it as the prettiest and best court house in Georgia.




PIKE COUNTY -  The New Court House at Zebulon is the Pride and the
                                      Boast of Her Citizens

The above cut*  is an excellent likeness of the splendid new court house which
now on the public square in the town of Zebulon.   The spires did structure was
begun in 1895 and completed last year.

The cut shows the building from the south side.   It is 75 x 75 feet and has
four entrances.   It is heated and ventilated by the Peek-Smeed system and
contains three dry closets.

On the first floor are two fire and burglar proof vaults, one for the ordinary
and the other for the clerk superior court.   These vaults are supplied with
steel tables, files and furniture of the latest pattern and in addition is their
security they are very attractive.   The offices are also well arranged.   On
the same floor are offices for the judge of the county court, the county
treasurer, the county commissioners and a large room fitted up with school
furniture for use of the county school commissioner in examining teachers. 
There is also a lobby with seats arranged to accommodate visitors.

Up stairs is the main court room with raised floor, steel ceiling, gallery for
the colored parties and spectators.   The grand jury room is upstairs and
adjacent is the solicitor-general’s office.    There are rooms for white and
colored witnesses, a sheriff’s office, three jury rooms, consultation room and a
steel cell for prisoners.

The building is an elegant one of which the people of Pike feel justly proud.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
The above cut* resembles the old court house at Zebulon which was torn down to
give place to the new one.   This historic old house was built about fifty-five
years ago.  A picture of this old house together with copies off the county
papers, a roll of the members and officers of Montgomery Lodge F. and A. M. and
other articles were placed in the corner-stone of the new building.

*  The cuts/photos did not reproduce good.  Should anyone want a scanned copy, I  
    will make an attempt to scan and send you one. There are also photos of the
other
    court houses in this group.




HENRY COUNTY – Has a New and Modern Building Now Being Built.

The Henry county court house which is now in progress of construction will cost
$14,000.   This house is situated on the northeast corner of the public square
and will contain a basement in which will be offices for the tax receiver and
collector and also a apartment for justice and county courts.

On the first floor proper there will be two vaults, ordinary’s and clerk’s; and
the offices of those officers are also on this floor, as is also the grand jury
room and other office rooms.

Up stairs will be the main court room, the petit jury rooms, witness rooms, etc.
 The floor will be elevated and a gallery will be provided for the colored people.

The tower will be of wood and will be fitted up with a six hundred dollar clock.  

The grand jury recommended that the house be rebuilt on the square but the
committee saw best to put the building in a different part of the town and this
action seems to meet with the hearty approval of the people.


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