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“(Varner) said, ‘If you think you can make a silk purse out of this sow’s ear, go ahead,’” Ewing said. “I took it upon myself to generate support.”

The county then included $4.3 million from the voter-approved 2000 SPLOST for the project to restore the 75,000-square-foot structure, Ewing said.

The Historic Courthouse had been built in 1884 to replace one destroyed by fire on Dec. 31, 1883.

It was designed and built in the Second Empire style, which is characterized by an elaborate mansard roof being the signature characteristic, according to information from the Society of Architectural Historians.

Dormers, chimneys, clock towers and distinctively shaped roof structures over pavilions were common in this design.

Over the years, it also was used as the backdrop for movies and TV shows which earned the county the nickname the “Hollywood of the South.” It was used in the opening credits of the TV show “In the Heat of the Night from 1988 to 1994 and appeared in “The Dukes of Hazzard” TV show, the 1970s movie “The Cannonball Run.”

It also was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

After the Board of Commissioners included its $4.3 million renovation cost in the 2000 SPLOST, Potts Construction Co. was awarded the contract in March 2002 based on some previous historic renovation work.

It was being restored as closely as possible to its original state, construction superintendent David Fuller told The Covington News.

The three-story courthouse with clock tower required cleaning and restoration of the exterior masonry, according to the company Reeves Young. Restoration of the historic wood window, door, and interior trim, plaster and interior wood flooring was required. New electrical, plumbing, fire protection and HVAC systems were installed.

Workers stripped and refinished all of the woodwork — including the stairwells leading to the second floor — and duplicated plaster moldings, restored the clock face and installed a slate roof.

The second floor courtroom, which included a balcony, was to be restored for use by the Board of Commissioners. The Board had been meeting in the jury room of the Judicial Center.

The work also restored the clock’s inner workings to continue striking a bell rather than it being a recording as is done at other courthouses.

The finished product was unveiled to the public on July 26, 2003, and the Board of Commissioners met there for the first time in September 2003.

NCSS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21 the Brickstore community; and Starrsville Academy .

Today, a number of private schools operate, with many tied to religious instruction as an alternative to public schools.

Piedmont Academy is located in Monticello and was founded in 1889. Students come from seven counties including Butts, Henry, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Putnam and Rockdale.

Peachtree Academy was founded by JaNice VanNess in 2001 and has grown into a Christian-based college preparatory school, encompassing four unique campuses.

Providence Classical Christian School (PCCS) was established in 2005 on the northern outskirts of Oxford.

Grace Christian Academy in Covington has about 80 students.

Alpha Omega Preparatory Academy is located on Salem Road in the Kroger shopping center.

News editor Tom Spigolon and publisher Gabriel Stovall contributed to this report.

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