Wilkes County Courthouse (Washington, Georgia)
Encyclopedia
The Wilkes County Courthouse is a historic government building and clock tower
located in the city of Washington, Georgia
, the seat
of Wilkes County
. The latest in a string of courthouse
s in the county's history, the current building was completed in 1904 and since that date has been the official home of Wilkes County's Superior Court
, and the base of the county's government. On September 18, 1980, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
is one the eight original counties created by Georgia
's first state constitution on February 5, 1777, and the only county then not previously colonized or settled. A wilderness frontier with a handful of newcomers, Wilkes County was devoid of infrastructure. When the pioneers of Wilkes convened their first court on August 25, 1779, it was held in a private residence, the first of many transient venues during the county's infancy.
In 1780, the Georgia Legislature
called for the establishment of the town of Washington
. With the town to serve as a seat of government, court proceedings could be given a dedicated, regular venue. Wilkes County Court found its first permanent venue in a room at the local tavern, which effectively served as official courtroom until 1785. The tavern occupied part of the same lot where currently stands today's courthouse.
in Washington. The next building had two stories and was originally the residence of Italian immigrant and U.S. patriot, Major Ferdinand Phinizy, who sold the house to Wilkes County Commissioners
. Courthouse number three served the county between 1804-1817.
A Federal-style
, brick structure in 1817 became Wilkes county's next courthouse and the first in Georgia to feature a clock tower
. This most recent among Wilkes' former courthouses stood in the center of Washington's public square and served the county until 1904, when it was replaced by the current courthouse, then demolished.
Already standing on said lot was a three-story 1824 structure known as the Heard House (not to be confused with Heard's Fort) or the old Georgia State Bank building. As the American Civil War
was nearing its end, this building was the place where the President
of the Confederacy
, Jefferson Davis
, convened the final session of the Confederate Cabinet. At this May 4, 1865 meeting the government of the Confederate States of America
was officially dissolved. Despite this unique distinction in Southern
and U.S. history, the building was razed to make way for the new courthouse. The events of 1865 are commemorated today with a plaque and a granite monument in front of the County Courthouse, as well as a Georgia Historical Society
Marker
about Jefferson Davis.
Courthouse and clock tower were designed by architect Frank Pierce Milburn
, who was heavily influenced by the Richardsonian Romanesque
and Romanesque Revival styles of architecture. It was originally constructed between 1903 - 1904 using sand-colored brick accented by red brick and natural stone. The total cost of the original construction was $40,000.
The courthouse's original design and construction included extensive detail work around the base of the roof and elaborate ornamentation across the roof as a whole, plus a Gothic accented
clock tower which nearly doubled the building's total height. These aspects of the original 1904 construction were destroyed in 1958, as a fire ravaged the courthouse's top half. As a result of the fire, the building was tower-less and capped by a flat roof for more than three decades until a restoration effort took place in 1989.
A partial restoration, the project restored a roof which approximates the original design, and a clock tower, albeit much shorter than the original. The ornamental detailing evident in the 1904 roof and Gothic embellished clock tower were omitted from the 1989 restoration due to limited project budget.
Wilkes County Courthouse was nominated for the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP) as part of a Multiple property submission (or MPS). The Georgia County Courthouses MPS included a select group of fifty-two of the state's former and current County Courthouses which were chosen based on their historical significance in the areas of architecture, communications, economics, law, and politics/government. All the properties in the Georgia County Courthouses MPS were accepted to the NRHP on September 18, 1980.
A substantial addition was built upon the rear of the courthouse in 1989.
It remains the location of The Superior Court of Wilkes County, which is a branch of the Toombs Judicial Circuit of the Tenth Judicial Administrative District of the Courts of Georgia
, presides over jury trials, rules on evidence, hears motions, and renders verdicts in bench trials. Superior Court Judges are constitutionally elected to four-year terms of office.
Other judicial bodies under the Courts of Georgia that are housed within the county courthouse include the Magistrate Court of Wilkes County and the Probate Court of Wilkes County.
Meetings of the five-member Wilkes County Board of Commissioners convene at the courthouse. The courthouse also houses the office of the County Administrator.
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
located in the city of Washington, Georgia
Washington, Georgia
Washington is a city in Wilkes County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,295 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wilkes County...
, the seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Wilkes County
Wilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census estimate shows a population of 10,262. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and county are commonly treated as a...
. The latest in a string of courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
s in the county's history, the current building was completed in 1904 and since that date has been the official home of Wilkes County's Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
, and the base of the county's government. On September 18, 1980, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
County Court
Wilkes County, GeorgiaWilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census estimate shows a population of 10,262. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and county are commonly treated as a...
is one the eight original counties created by Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
's first state constitution on February 5, 1777, and the only county then not previously colonized or settled. A wilderness frontier with a handful of newcomers, Wilkes County was devoid of infrastructure. When the pioneers of Wilkes convened their first court on August 25, 1779, it was held in a private residence, the first of many transient venues during the county's infancy.
In 1780, the Georgia Legislature
Government of Georgia (U.S. state)
The state government of Georgia is the U.S. state governmental body established by the Georgia State Constitution. It is a republican government with three branches: the legislature, executive, and judiciary...
called for the establishment of the town of Washington
Washington, Georgia
Washington is a city in Wilkes County, Georgia, United States. The population was 4,295 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wilkes County...
. With the town to serve as a seat of government, court proceedings could be given a dedicated, regular venue. Wilkes County Court found its first permanent venue in a room at the local tavern, which effectively served as official courtroom until 1785. The tavern occupied part of the same lot where currently stands today's courthouse.
Previous Courthouses
By 1785, a new, independent building constructed of logs became Wilkes County's first genuine courthouse. According to a plaque on the present courthouse lawn, the log courthouse was replaced after only a year by a clapboard-style courthouse, which served the county from 1786-1804. Both the log and clapboard courthouses stood in what is today the public squareTown square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
in Washington. The next building had two stories and was originally the residence of Italian immigrant and U.S. patriot, Major Ferdinand Phinizy, who sold the house to Wilkes County Commissioners
County commission
A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...
. Courthouse number three served the county between 1804-1817.
A Federal-style
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
, brick structure in 1817 became Wilkes county's next courthouse and the first in Georgia to feature a clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
. This most recent among Wilkes' former courthouses stood in the center of Washington's public square and served the county until 1904, when it was replaced by the current courthouse, then demolished.
Courthouse Site
Washington in the 1890s was rife with rumors regarding railroad development and potential prosperity for Wilkes County. This fueled a push for civic projects and improvements by which the community hoped to more strongly lure railroad investment. The replacement of the 1817 courthouse soon became one such project, and before the century was out, County Commissioners had purchased the lot across from their existing courthouse, where in a few years they would build its replacement.Already standing on said lot was a three-story 1824 structure known as the Heard House (not to be confused with Heard's Fort) or the old Georgia State Bank building. As the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
was nearing its end, this building was the place where the President
President of the Confederate States of America
The President of the Confederate States of America was the Head of State and Head of Government of the Confederate States of America, which was formed from the states which declared their secession from the United States, thus precipitating the American Civil War. The only person to hold the...
of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
, Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Davis
Jefferson Finis Davis , also known as Jeff Davis, was an American statesman and leader of the Confederacy during the American Civil War, serving as President for its entire history. He was born in Kentucky to Samuel and Jane Davis...
, convened the final session of the Confederate Cabinet. At this May 4, 1865 meeting the government of the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
was officially dissolved. Despite this unique distinction in Southern
Dixie
Dixie is a nickname for the Southern United States.- Origin of the name :According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the origins of this nickname remain obscure. According to A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles , by Mitford M...
and U.S. history, the building was razed to make way for the new courthouse. The events of 1865 are commemorated today with a plaque and a granite monument in front of the County Courthouse, as well as a Georgia Historical Society
Georgia Historical Society
Georgia Historical Society is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history...
Marker
Historical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
about Jefferson Davis.
Architecture
The Wilkes County, GeorgiaWilkes County, Georgia
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2000, the population was 10,687. The 2007 Census estimate shows a population of 10,262. The county seat is the city of Washington. Referred to as "Washington-Wilkes", the county seat and county are commonly treated as a...
Courthouse and clock tower were designed by architect Frank Pierce Milburn
Frank Pierce Milburn
Frank Pierce Milburn was a prolific architect of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While Milburn designed commercial buildings and residences, his practice was primarily focused on public buildings, particularly courthouses and legislative buildings...
, who was heavily influenced by the Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
and Romanesque Revival styles of architecture. It was originally constructed between 1903 - 1904 using sand-colored brick accented by red brick and natural stone. The total cost of the original construction was $40,000.
The courthouse's original design and construction included extensive detail work around the base of the roof and elaborate ornamentation across the roof as a whole, plus a Gothic accented
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
clock tower which nearly doubled the building's total height. These aspects of the original 1904 construction were destroyed in 1958, as a fire ravaged the courthouse's top half. As a result of the fire, the building was tower-less and capped by a flat roof for more than three decades until a restoration effort took place in 1989.
A partial restoration, the project restored a roof which approximates the original design, and a clock tower, albeit much shorter than the original. The ornamental detailing evident in the 1904 roof and Gothic embellished clock tower were omitted from the 1989 restoration due to limited project budget.
Wilkes County Courthouse was nominated for the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(NRHP) as part of a Multiple property submission (or MPS). The Georgia County Courthouses MPS included a select group of fifty-two of the state's former and current County Courthouses which were chosen based on their historical significance in the areas of architecture, communications, economics, law, and politics/government. All the properties in the Georgia County Courthouses MPS were accepted to the NRHP on September 18, 1980.
Additions
A new jail wing was added in 1911 onto the rear of the courthouse. A plaque mounted on the jail's exterior commemorates the first hanging to occur there. The December 5, 1911 execution from the third floor gallows happened before the jail's official dedication in January 1912.A substantial addition was built upon the rear of the courthouse in 1989.
Today
Today's Wilkes County Courthouse continues to operate in its traditional capacity.It remains the location of The Superior Court of Wilkes County, which is a branch of the Toombs Judicial Circuit of the Tenth Judicial Administrative District of the Courts of Georgia
Courts of Georgia
Courts of Georgia include:State courts of Georgia*Supreme Court of Georgia**Georgia Court of Appeals***Georgia Superior Courts ****Georgia State Courts*****Georgia Magistrate Courts*****Georgia Juvenile Courts...
, presides over jury trials, rules on evidence, hears motions, and renders verdicts in bench trials. Superior Court Judges are constitutionally elected to four-year terms of office.
Other judicial bodies under the Courts of Georgia that are housed within the county courthouse include the Magistrate Court of Wilkes County and the Probate Court of Wilkes County.
Meetings of the five-member Wilkes County Board of Commissioners convene at the courthouse. The courthouse also houses the office of the County Administrator.