walton County Historic Courthouse

 The beautiful courthouse that today stands in the center of town is the fourth courthouse to call Broad Street home. The first courthouse was a two-story cedar log structure built in 1821 by Benjamin Hammock for $50.

Ordinary Thomas Giles assembled a building committee to oversee the construction of the present courthouse. Bids were accepted in 1882, and James Smith of Sparta won the contract with a bid of $20,995. The Atlanta architectural firm of Bruce & Morgan was hired for the design. Miss Fannie Bush laid the first twelve bricks on November 18, representing Walton Counties' 12 militia districts, and construction was underway. The Masons laid the cornerstone on February 14, 1883, and this envelope was among numerous articles placed in it. The drawing shows how the courthouse would look when completed. Unfortunately, the dome and clock were lost during the 1890s, probably due to rot that forced removal or aided destruction by high winds. This photo from The Walton Tribune in 1907 shows the tower without a clock. The clock was replaced in 1910 through efforts led by B. S. Walker.

Through the years, the courthouse continually went through changes, additions, and remodels to make it a more suitable workspace. Unfortunately, the historical presence and grandeur of the building were given little or no regard.

Finally, in 1996 under the direction of Carter-Watkins, Architects, the old beauty received a complete restoration that brought it back to its original beauty.