Greene County, NC - Greene County Court House Fire-1876 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Aftermath of the Greene County Court House Fire- 1876 From the Carolina Messenger-Goldsboro, N.C. March 16, 1876 “GREENE COURT.- This tribunal is in session at Snow Hill, where we spent a few hours among our friends on Tuesday. The court is being held in the old Academy building. Judge Seymour presides. Among the many legal gentlemen present we noticed the familiar faces of Messrs W. T. Dortch, A. K. Smedes, W. T. Faircloth, E. A. Thompson, John F. Wooten, Swift Galloway, Col. Yellowly, and others. There are about sixty cases on the criminal docket, and probably the same number on the civil docket. It is thought that court will adjourn by Saturday. The burning of the court house and destruction of papers may impede the progress of the court somewhat, but no trouble is anticipated. The destruction of county Records will necessarily involve much litigation. It is hoped that the Legislature will afford all possibly [sic] relief. The county Register has already ordered a new set of Record books and will shortly commence the work of replacing his Records. The origin of the fire is still a matter of doubt, with many. There are some who firmly adhere to the opinion that the fire was the result of incendiarism, while others think it originated from the stove in the Registers office. Efforts will doubtless be made soon for rebuilding the court house. It is thought that $ 4,000 will rebuilt the present walls of brick, while some place the estimate at less than this. We were surprised to hear the question of removing the court house discussed with so much earnestness. There are some who would like Hookerton to be the county seat, while a number of moneyed gentlemen of the Speight’s Bridge section declare positive that if ever the court house is rebuilt at Snow Hill it must be done at the individual expense of the citizens and friends of that town, without expense to the county. In support of this declaration Col. Owen W. Jones, offers to build a court house for the county on his land (which his friends claim is about the center of the county) at his own expense, unless the rebuilding at Snow Hill can be effected without expense to the tax-payers. Of course the question of removal would have to be decided by a vote of the people, and it is hardly probably [sic] that a removal will be consented to. At any rate the proposition of Col. Owens may save the county the expense of rebuilding. As is everywhere the case our Greene county friends complain of stringency in money matters.” ___________________________________________________________________ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mike Edge ___________________________________________________________________