Maury County TN Archives History - Books .....Court Houses And Jails 1906 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/tn/tnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 23, 2005, 12:38 am Book Title: Century Review Courthouses.-The first permanent courthouse was a brick structure erected in 1809-10, under contract with J, M. Goodloe and O. P. Nicholson, father of the late Chief Justice. The contract price was $6,990, and no record for extras appears. The building was two stories, 30x60 ft.; first story, 14 ft.; second, 13 ft.; porticoes, 12x20, two stories. On both sides, six brick columns, 3 ft. in diameter; stone steps. Each story had 16 windows of 18 small panes each. The Old Courthouse.-In Jan., 1844, J. B. White, Maj. Jno. Brown, Park Street, T. P. Wortham, and E. C. Frierson, as commissioners, were authorized to expend $15,000 in the erection of a courthouse. The job was awarded to Nimrod Porter, who, as collector of taxes, appears to have been indebted to the county $9,106, and the balance was paid to him in installments. This structure was 49x87 ft.; walls, 18 in.; first floor, 9 ft.; second floor, 13 ft. In Jan., 1846, $4,000 additional was appropriated for the third floor, to be 11 ft. in the clear. In Oct., 1847, extras were allowed, which brought the total cost to $19,170, subsequent to which numerous expensive improvements were added. It was completed late in 1847, and, after fifty-six years of use, was torn down late in 1903 to give place to the elegant structure now approaching completion. The old courthouse was sold to Geo. R. Ragan for $1,000, and it is understood that the material saved from the razure paid handsomely for the undertaking. New Courthouse.-The building of a new courthouse for Maury Co. has been agitated for twenty years past; and the growing necessity becoming self-evident, the County Court on Oct. 6, 1903, ordered a Building Committee appointed, with power to expend $85,000 in its erection. Judge W. O. Gordon, W. T. Galloway, N. E. Woldard, P. S. Chandler, T. C. Webster, E. H. Hatcher (chairman), and H. W. Thomas (secretary) constituted said committee. The plans of Carpenter & Blair, 569 Fifth Ave., New York, were accepted: and the corner stone was laid Oct. 8, 1904, by Columbia Lodge, No. 31, F. and A. M., Right Worshipful Grand Master Jas. Sloan, of Nashville, officiating. It is worthy of note that Uncle Dick Porter, a colored man, who was brought to Maury Co. by Wm. Porter and who claims to have assisted in building the courthouse erected here ninety-five years ago. was allowed to place the first trowel of mortar in laying the corner stone. Descriptive.-The designs for this elegant stone edifice are in charge of T. S. Sweet, who looks after the architectural work of Carpenter & Blair in the South. Hugger Bros., of Montgomery. Ala., secured the contract for $83,000. With changes and additions, the clock, grading, and furnishing, it is believed that the total expense will easily round up $100,000. It is, however, a much-needed improvement, well worth its cost to the county, and will probably remain for centuries a monument to its promoters. The stone work was sublet to the Foster-Herbert Stone Co., of Nashville; and the steel work was furnished by the Southern Foundry Co., of Owensboro, Ky. The structure is 85x108 ft., three stories and basement. The latter is ten ft. in clear, and will be accompanied by boiler room, closets, storage conveniences. The stairs are of iron and marble, tile floors laid in concrete, marble base, and the building thoroughly fireproof. Vaults and closets are found on each floor. The first floor contains the County Court room, 24x35 feet; commodious offices for the Sheriff, Register, Trustee, Clerk, and Judge. The second floor has the Circuit Court room, 42x62, with 24-ft. ceiling; two witness rooms; Judge, Clerk and Master, and Circuit Clerk rooms. The third floor contains Chancery Court rooms; Judge and Clerk, Attorney-general, jury and grand jury rooms. There is a lookout in the tower 90 ft. above the ground, and the tower top stands 132 ft. above the street. Jails.-A log prison, stocks, and bonds served for purposes of criminal confinement until a brick jail was erected, about 1810. This stood on Sixth St., between Main and Embargo; and when the present City Hall was built, about 1840, the old jail was converted into a residence, which was burned in war time. The City Hall, corner Sixth and Main, had substantial cells erected on the first and second floors, with residence rooms for the jailer in front. This was leased by the city in 1891 and remodeled. Two years ago additional changes were made to accommodate the Trustee's and Register's offices below; the court room, Circuit Court room. Clerk and Master of Chancery above, pending the erection of a new courthouse. The new jail, at the foot of Embargo St., was built in 1884 by McDonald Bros., of Louisville, Ky. It is of handsome design, and cost $22,500. The commissioners were: W. O. Gordon, Robt. A. McKay, H. H. Mooney, Wm. J. Andrews, R. A. Roundtree, Geo. W. Stockard. Additional Comments: From: CENTURY REVIEW 1805 - 1905 MAURY COUNTY, TENNESSEE A Condensation of the Most Important Events of the Past One Hundred Years, and Descriptive Sketches of the Cities and Villages File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/tn/maury/history/1906/centuryr/courthou15gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/tnfiles/ File size: 5.7 Kb