- Collection:
- Georgia County Courthouses
- Title:
- Clarke County Courthouse
- Creator:
- Seibert, David, 1941-2020
- Contributor to Resource:
- Brown, A. Ten Eyck
- Date of Original:
- 1914
- Subject:
- Courthouses--Georgia--Clarke County
Courthouses--Georgia--Athens - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Clarke County, Athens, 33.96095, -83.37794
- Medium:
- photographs
- Type:
- Still Image
- Format:
- image/jpeg
- Description:
- Architecture Style: Italian Renaissance Revival/Neoclassical Revival/Beaux Arts Classicism
Courthouse Details: It is not known what Clarke County first used as a courthouse after its creation in Dec. 1801. But, it is clear that something was built in Watkinsville, for the General Assembly in 1806 passed legislation allowing Clarke County to levy a special tax for enlarging and rebuilding its courthouse (Ga. Laws 1806, p. 26). Reportedly, other courthouses were built in 1829 and 1849. In 1871, Athens city officials offered the city hall to be used as a courthouse if the legislature changed Clarke County's seat of government from Watkinsville to Athens. In the Nov. 24, 1871 act making Athens the new county seat of Clarke County as of Jan. 1, 1872, the legislature directed that the courthouse and clerk's office in Watkinsville be sold, with the proceeds to be used in renovating the Athens city hall to serve as the new Clarke County courthouse (Ga. Laws 1871-72, p. 244). In 1874, the legislature authorized Clarke County to call a referendum on borrowing money to finance construction of a new courthouse and jail (Ga. Laws 1874, p. 324). The referendum passed, and construction began a lot on Prince Ave. about five blocks from downtown Athens. Completed in 1876, the two-story red brick courthouse served the county until 1914, when Clarke County built a new courthouse. Located one block from city hall, the new four-story yellow brick building was designed by the same architect responsible for the Fulton County courthouse (also completed in 1914). In 1990, an addition to the courthouse and an adjacent parking lot connected by an atrium were constructed. After Clarke County and the city of Athens consolidated into a single government in 1991, the building that formerly served as Athens City Hall now became home for part of the unified government, including its chief elected officer--later renamed mayor. - External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/id:dlg_gacoch_clarke-county-courthouse
- Digital Object URL:
- http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:dlg_gacoch_clarke-county-courthouse
- Holding Institution:
- Digital Library of Georgia
- Rights:
-
