2010 Courthouse Tribute

A

Tribute

1904 Coweta County Courthouse Restored Published by The Times-Herald

September 2010

2 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Located t d iin N Newnan since i 197 1971 71 and after 39 years, there’s still no place like home.

Thank You Newnan and Coweta County!

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September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 3

Courthouse iconic symbol for Cowetans Editor’s note: Assistant News Editor Winston Skinner shares his memories of the historic Coweta County Courthouse, as well as some of the history of the building.

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com “But above all, the courthouse: the center, the focus, the hub; sitting looming in the center of the county’s circumference like a single cloud in its ring of horizon, laying its vast shadow to the uttermost rim of horizon; musing, brooding, symbolic and ponderable, tall as cloud, solid as rock, dominating all: protector of the weak, judiciate and curb of the passions and lusts, repository and guardian of the aspirations and hopes. . . .”

— William Faulkner, “The Courthouse [A Name for the City],” in “Requiem for a Nun” Built in 1904, the current Coweta County Courthouse has long since been an iconic image.

The dome has adorned the cover of several books relating to the history of the county and been placed on T-shirts and Christmas ornaments. In recent

decades, Hollywood has discovered its classic lines and used it as a backdrop for movie and television productions.

The courthouse is also a place where stories linger like hidden layers of paint. Baseball players have slept there. Many a trial was held there — including one that inspired a best-selling book and a popular television movie.

A Confederate soldier lay in state in the gracious central hall of the courthouse, and — over the course of its century-plus of history — dozens of people have come to work there filing deeds, answering phones, issuing marriage licenses and gun permits.

I have my own memories of the courthouse. When I celebrated my 18th birthday, one of my rites of passage was coming to the building, birth certificate in hand, and finding Evelyn Cartledge, the longtime voter registrar, in her tiny office tucked beneath the south stairwell.

Most of my memories of the courthouse go back to stories I wrote. I interviewed Carl McKoy — I can’t remember if he was still called the ordinary or if he had become the probate judge by then — for a series of

stories about wills. He told me about the importance of having one, and then he also showed me some interesting wills including one for a lady who — overhearing her favorite niece tell about what she would do with her aunt’s belongings — changed her will, left her property to another niece and then directed that her personal belongings be destroyed using a string of verbs like burned, crushed and pulverized.

I have covered numerous court trials in the majestic courthouse. I recall how intimidating and judicial Nathan Knight was as state court judge, and in superior court I saw two men sentenced to die. I also recall a case in which the defendant represented himself, attacked a police detective and started a general melee that ended with the city police hauling most of the defendant’s family to jail.

I have frequently had to go through documents and make notes in those hallowed halls.

Once when I was going over the indictment list in one of the vaults, I was just a few feet from actor James Garner who was tucking in his shirt and mentally preparing himself for the next

scene in the 1990 Hallmark Hall of Fame production “Decoration Day.” When I became a pastor, Ann Williams, who was for years active in the United Daughters of the Confederacy, asked me to lead a Christian burial service for William Thomas Overby.

Overby, known as “the Nathan Hale of the Confederacy,” had been hanged by Union troops in Virginia in 1864 and buried on a farm near Front Royal.

In late 1996, Overby’s remains were brought back to Newnan.

An authentic Civil War era casket was built and placed in the hallway at the courthouse. From the courthouse, I walked in the procession to Oak Hill Cemetery on Jan. 5, 1997 along with men dressed as Confederate soldiers, ladies in antebellum apparel, Overby family members and former Georgia Gov. Lester Maddox, who was the keynote speaker.

The casket was carried on a horse-drawn artillery caisson.

Courthouses are important symbols. The quote from Faulkner — ferreted out and shared by Coweta resident John Thrasher — speaks to their unique role.

“The Georgia Courthouse

Guide,” published in 1992 by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, also elaborates on the role of these majestic buildings: “The courthouse and its surrounding square became the focus of many communities.

County seat status was an attraction for commercial and residential development.

County government was an industry. Courthouse squares became regional centers for agricultural activities as Georgia’s farmers brought their produce to market. The squares became community assembly spaces featuring celebrations, commemorations, political rallies, and, in some cases, public hangings. Courthouse grounds were typically adorned with monuments celebrating the community’s history and its leaders and memorials to its war veterans. During court week, courthouses and their adjacent squares were exceptionally busy places.”

It is hard for us to imagine the Court Square without the courthouse, but the current one is actually Coweta’s third. The original log structure was [Continued on Page 4]

4 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Courthouse memories shared [Continued from Page 3]

replaced in 1829 by a Greek Revival brick structure of two stories constructed by Col. William Hitchcock. The old Banks County Courthouse in Homer looks very much like the 1829 building before the clock tower was added. It was around that structure that large tents were erected during the Civil War to serve as makeshift hospitals.

In the 1890s and early 1900s, many counties in Georgia were building new courthouses. My friend, local historian Georgia Shapiro, related that Coweta’s county commissioners caught courthouse fever and tried — unsuccessfully — to float a bond issue to build a new courthouse.

The commissioners decided to build a new courthouse anyway and to simply add its cost to the annual tax levy. A move arose “to stop the demolition of the old courthouse,” Shapiro said.

R. D. Cole of Newnan had gotten the contract to build the new courthouse. He had his crews start demolition of the 1829 structure about 3 a.m. By the time people got to town, “the building was half down,” she said.

Apparently, a courthouse that had been built in Carroll County was one of the spurs that moved the Cowetans to hire J.W. Golucke to prepare his classic design. The Neoclassical

Revival style was a popular one in Georgia. Coweta’s courthouse is one of 58 built in that style in Georgia between 1887 and 1937.

The courthouse has seen its share of political events. Mr. Harold Barron often told a story from his boyhood about a barbecue held on the Court Square for Ellis Arnall, who grew up in Newnan and served as attorney general and then governor. Mr. Harold and other teenage boys had been recruited to serve barbecue and Brunswick stew at a rally. There were so many people that Mr. Harold went home without getting to taste any of the barbecue. The next morning, everyone who had partaken was sick. It turns out there had been rain and runoff from the courthouse’s copper roof had contaminated that stew.

Gov. Arnall mounted his last campaign for public office as a write-in candidate for governor in 1966. The kickoff for that campaign took place in the upstairs courtroom.

Most often the courtroom was a site for trials. The most famous took place in 1948 when John Wallace was tried for the murder of William Turner following a determined investigation headed by Coweta County Sheriff Lamar Potts. Sheriff Potts was also the manager for the Newnan Browns, a professional baseball team of the day.

The players slept in an upstairs space in the courthouse, and oldtimers remember them walk-

ing from the Court Square to Pickett Field for games and practices.

As the years passed, many functions moved out of the courthouse. A county jail was built on Greison Trail, and the expansion and growth of county services required other locations and facilities.

I’ve already mentioned “Decoration Day,” but other movies have also featured the courthouse. The grand jury room was transformed into a judge’s office for Raymond Burr in the television film “Grass Roots,” based on the novel by Meriwether County native Stuart Woods. I also recall taking pictures of Corbin Bernsen on the courthouse stairwell during the filming of that movie.

Michael Gross was on the courthouse grounds for scenes from “In The Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas” which first aired in 1991.

The courthouse and its grounds continue to be a place that symbolizes what is good about life in Coweta.

Ceremonies have been held on the grounds to commemorate the Sept. 11 anniversary and for the National Day of Prayer.

It has been exciting to watch the courthouse get its latest facelift. The crown jewel of the county stands ready to be the setting for another century of stories.

Photo by Bob Fraley

Albert Johnston shows new chairs in the grand jury room. The horse-

shoe-shaped table has been refinished and replaced in the northwest corner room adjacent to the courtroom. Two of the original chairs from the grand jury room were located and were in good enough shape to be refinished and installed. The rest of the chairs for the grand jury room, the jury box, jury room and conference room are new and very similar to the original in design and style.

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6 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Visitor’s center moving to courthouse

By ELIZABETH RICHARDSON

erichardson@newnan.com The Coweta County Convention and Visitors Bureau is the face of the county — and in this case, visitors are greeted with a warm smile.

“Quite often, we’re the only impression some tourists get of our county,” said Pam Mayer, the welcome center coordinator.

“Our number one goal is to welcome tourists into the community — and we define a tourist as someone who doesn’t have a Coweta County tag.”

Soon, the visitor’s center will be uprooting from its longstanding location on Walt Sanders Memorial Drive off Hwy. 34 East to relocate and resume operations in the newly renovated Coweta County Courthouse in downtown Newnan.

“Although we promote the entire county, it’ll be nice to be in the heart and soul of the community,” said Mayer.

The visitor’s center will continue to serve as an information resource for the county, according to Mayer. They offer brochures and rack cards, The Times-Herald newspaper and

the Coweta Living welcome guide.

“If a tourist walks in the door, we find out if they’re just passing through, a newcomer, or a visitor,” said Mayer. “It helps us define what kind of packet we’re going to build for them.

Our number one goal, however, is to get them to stay — to move here.”

The welcome center functions as a meet and greet as well as an information resource. It also serves as a regional visitor’s center for the state.

“We have brochures for all nine travel regions, as well as maps and the state visitors guide,” said Mayer. “We’re providing the next level of service for the state of Georgia, which makes us an authority on a little bit of everything.”

Despite being 3.9 miles from the interstate once they make the move to the courthouse, Mayer feels that the operations of the convention and visitors bureau will be easier from downtown.

“Most people who come here come into town anyway,” she said. “Last year we saw over 8,000 people, and we expect to add more traffic this year.”

Mayer said that the majority of their traffic comes to Coweta County with one overwhelming request.

“History is one of our number one attractions,” said Mayer.

“People want to see the historic homes in all of our communities.”

The convention and visitors bureau sends tourists out not just to Newnan’s Main Street and historic neighborhoods, but also to attractions in Moreland, Sharpsburg, Grantville, Senoia, Turin and Roscoe. It’s their job to send them out into the communities to get a taste and feel for everything Coweta has to offer. And that includes attractions, sightseeing, food, shopping, lodging and events.

The visitor’s center will officially operate from the historic courthouse beginning Sept. 20.

The office is sharing the building with Coweta Probate Court.

“They have restored it with the original colors and setting and created a warm space,” said Mayer. “We will have chairs for people to sit and read through material. Or, they can stroll around the Court

Photo by Bob Fraley

Coweta’s welcome center, relocating to the courthouse, functions as a meet and greet as well as an information resource. It also serves as a regional visitor’s center for the state and offers brochures for all nine travel regions, as well as maps and the state visitors guide, said coordinator Pam Mayer.

Square and visit the coffee shop.”

Hours of operation will be Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 9-4 on Saturday.

Mayer said that anticipation has been mounting since the renovation project began in

2008, and now, “here we are.”

“We bring the experience of Coweta County alive,” said Mayer. “This helps tourists stay and visit longer. We want awareness in our local community as well. We want everyone to pop in and visit us.”

A Job Well Done

Before

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After

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September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 7

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8 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Gala preview funding memorials upkeep

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com As part of the extensive restoration and adaptive reuse project at the 1904 courthouse, the various monuments and markers on the courthouse grounds were restored and repaired, as were the oil paintings of Coweta’s two governors,

Gov. William Yates Atkinson is shown in this photographic portrait from the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society collection. It is the only full-length photo of the governor and may have been used in the painting of a portrait that once hung in the Coweta County Courthouse. The portrait was given to Meriwether County after new portaits of Atkinson and Gov. Ellis Arnall were done for the courtroom by artist David Reese and dedicated Feb. 18, 1980.

Ellis Arnall and William Yates Atkinson.

The restoration and repair work was paid for by Coweta County; however, plans are for money to be raised to reimburse the county for the cost, as well as to set up a fund for ongoing maintenance.

A ticketed dinner and dessert gala preview of the courthouse the evening of Sept. 18 is the first fund-raiser for the restoration and maintenance fund. Another is the sale of engraved bricks which will be placed around the courthouse, replacing current landscape bricks.

Mark Mitchell, chairman of the Courthouse Committee, which is made up of Cowetans from different areas of the county, said he expects the bricks to be available “for some time to come.”

“We want to make sure, going forward, that there is a plan in place and some funds, to at least be able to continue to monitor those monuments, and make any repairs and do maintenance that is needed for them,” Mitchell said.

Matt Gentry of Greater Atlanta Memorials did the repair and cleaning work on all the stone monuments, as well as the bronze plaques and aluminum historical marker.

The marble Confederate soldier, and his granite base, on the east side of the courthouse took the most work.

The solider was cleaned with a light, and very fine, blasting of sand. “He was mildewed pretty good,” Gentry said. Gentry also discovered a hairline crack in the soldier’s cape. It was easily fixed by being filled with epoxy, which keeps moisture from getting into the crack.

The crack was not serious but, over time, it could have grown, as water would get in, freeze, expand, and enlarge the crack.

Marble is a much softer stone than granite. That makes it easier to carve, but also more susceptible to damage, according to Gentry. The granite base for the soldier, as well as the granite base of the William McIntosh monument, basically only needed a good cleaning.

Gentry said he gave Coweta Public Buildings Director Tom Little a product that can be put on the stones every few years to keep them in good condition.

As for the bronze plaques and aluminum markers, “you sandblast them back to bare metal,” Gentry said. Then, he re-stained them and re-high-

Gov. Ellis Arnall in the 1970s, speaking to Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce.

lighted the letters, in a process called gilding.

Gentry’s family is in the monument business, and he does quite a lot of monument installation and custom sandblast work. But nearly all of it is in cemeteries.

“This is the first renovation I’ve ever done at a courthouse, so it was pretty neat,” he said.

The two oil paintings were worked on by Robert Rauton of Bulkhead Fine Restorations.

The two paintings by David Reese, dating from 1980, were in pretty good shape, Rauton said.

“They weren’t really dirty,” he said. “They were dirty, but nothing like we would get from something 100 or 150 years old,” he said.

The main problem, instead, was what Rauton called a “sheen differential.”

The unevenness of the sheen made it hard to see the paintings from certain angles, Rauton said. He’s not sure exactly what caused the problem. Rauton said he assumes that the original varnish was applied evenly, but some parts of the painting soaked up more varnish than others.

“Both had a bit of this,” he said. “In our cleaning process we had to use different solvents because different areas of the paintings needed different levels of cleaning,” he said.

Then there was a tiny bit of retouch work, and application of a new coat of varnish.

Modern soy-based varnishes will not yellow over time like oil-based varnishes, Rauton said.

Photo by Jeffrey Leo

Matt Gentry of Greater Atlanta Memorials did the repair and cleaning work on all the stone monuments, as well as the bronze plaques and aluminum historical marker. The marble Confederate soldier, and his granite base, on the east side of the courthouse took the most work.

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September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 9

Arnall biographer to speak about Atkinson Sunday

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com As part of the re-opening of the historic Coweta County Courthouse, a biographer of Ellis Arnall will give a talk about William Yates Atkinson.

Atkinson and Arnall are the two Newnanites who have served as Georgia’s governor.

Both were progressive Democrats who are remembered for their efforts to improve education and boost Georgia’s economy. Harold Paulk Henderson, an author and retired history professor, will speak at the dedication of the Georgia Historical Society marker honoring Atkinson on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the courthouse.

Henderson is the author of “Georgia Governors in an Age of Change: Ellis Arnall to George Busbee” and “The Politics of Change in Georgia: A Political Biography of Ellis Arnall.”

Atkinson was Georgia’s 55th governor, serving from 18941898. Arnall was the state’s 69th governor — serving from 19431947.

At the conclusion of Henderson’s lecture Sunday, the program will move outside onto the grounds for the dedication of the newest monument on the courthouse grounds.

Following the program, Henderson will autograph copies of his books. The two books relating to Arnall and “Ernest Vandiver: Governor of Georgia” will be available for sale that afternoon.

The placement of the monument is part of an effort by the GHS to commemorate Georgia governors in their home communities. Locally the marker effort was supported by the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, the Coweta County Genealogical Society and the Atkinson family.

Arnall will not be eligible for a plaque of this kind for several years, according to Patricia Palmer, spokeswoman for Coweta County. The GHS Web site indicates markers recognizing individuals “generally require the subject to have been deceased 25 years or more.” Arnall died in 1992.

Atkinson was born Nov. 11, 1854 at Oakland plantation in Meriwether County. He was one of four governors born in Meriwether County. The others were Joseph Meriwether Terrell, who oversaw the establishment of agricultural colleges; John Marshall Slaton,

who pardoned Leo Frank; and William James Samford, governor of Alabama in 1900-1901.

Atkinson’s father had eight children by two marriages. The future governor was a hard worker on the family’s farm and initially seemed not much interested in school. His parents sent him to a school in Greenville and he went on to graduate from the University of Georgia Law School in 1877.

Atkinson opened a law practice in Newnan the following year. His brother also moved to Newnan and became the school superintendent.

Less than a year after he moved to Newnan, W. Y. Atkinson was appointed county court solicitor. He served as president of the state Democractic convention in 1890 and was elected to four terms in the state legislature before running for governor.

An anti-trust bill, a commission to select textbooks for school and election reform legislation were all accomplishments of Atkinson’s administration. He also establised a commission to study conditions in the state’s prisons.

He also advocated the creation of the lieutenant governorship, a post not created until 1945. Atkinson was known for his opposition to lynching, and he personally tried to dissuade the crowds who lynched Sam Hose in Newnan in 1899.

In 1880, Atkinson married Susan Cobb Milton, descendant of Florida Gov. John Milton.

They had six children. Their youngest, Georgia Atkinson Bradfield, was the only child of a Georgia governor actually born in the governor’s mansion.

Late in life, she became a noted watercolorist.

Susie Atkinson put together a petition campaign that helped her husband get legislation passed to create Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville. The school is now known as Georgia College and State University, and Atkinson Hall is a campus landmark.

William Yates Atkinson died at 44 on Aug. 8, 1899 — following a bout with appendicitis.

His widow opened an insurance agency, got appointed as Newnan’s postmaster, played the piano at Newnan’s Episcopal church and was one of the first women in Newnan to drive her own car. The Atkinsons are buried in the Presbyterian Section of Oak Hill Cemetery.

Ellis Arnall was born on

March 20, 1907 in a Wesley Street home, where Leslie and Carol Toole now reside.

Arnall’s paternal grandparents lived a short walk away in the home that now belongs to Bob and Georgia Shapiro.

The Arnalls were a prominent Newnan family. The governor’s mother, Bessie Ellis Arnall, was from Union Springs, Ala. and was distantly related to Cornelia Ellis Wallace, who was once Alabama’s first lady.

Arnall grew up in Newnan and was quarterback on the Newnan High School team. His family was active in Central Baptist Church.

Arnall attended Mercer University briefly and graduated from the University of the South in 1928 — majoring in Greek. He followed in Atkinson’s footsteps — earning his law degree at the University of Georgia.

Returning to Newnan to practice law, Arnall joined the Newnan Civitan Club. In 1932, he was elected to the Georgia General Assembly. At 31, he became Georgia’s youngest attorney general.

While he was governor, Arnall appointed the University System board of regents — creating a system that insulated the state’s uni-

versities from political pressure and ensuring accreditation. He led in updating the Georgia Constitution, worked to modernize the penal system and led the state to lower the voting age to 18 and to abolish the poll tax.

In 1947, Eugene Talmadge was re-elected governor with M. E. Thompson as lieutenant governor. Talmadge’s health was poor, and a write-in campaign was mounted for Talmadge’s son, Herman.

When Eugene Talmadge died three weeks before his term was to begin, Talmadge supporters insisted the legislature should pick a successor. They elected Herman Talmadge, but Arnall refused to relinquish the governorship until the matter was resolved by the courts.

Thompson eventually became governor.

Arnall served briefly as director of the Office of Price Stabilization during the Truman presidency. In 1966, he ran for governor again but was not successful. His write-in candidacy left the top two candidates — Republican Howard “Bo” Callaway and Democrat Lester Maddox — without a majority, and the legislature chose Maddox.

Arnall founded an Atlanta law firm — Arnall, Golden and

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Arnall married Mildred Delaney Slemons of Orlando, Fla. in 1935. Their son, Alvan, became an attorney. They also had a daughter, the late Alice Harty.

Mildred Arnall died in 1981.

The following year, the governor married Ruby Hamilton McCord, a Kentucky native who had sold the Arnalls a Cadillac. They married at Central Baptist Church in Newnan but resided in Atlanta.

Ellis Arnall died Dec. 13, 1992.

Three former governors — Maddox, Herman Talmadge and Carl Sanders — were among those attending his funeral.

A portrait of Atkinson hung for decades in the main courtroom of the historic courthouse. New portraits of Atkinson and Arnall were painted by David Reese and dedicated in Feb. 1980. Those portraits have been cleaned and will be returned to the spot above the judge’s bench in the upstairs courtroom. The older Atkinson portrait was given to Meriwether County.

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Leroy Johnson, and father, served in Coweta Courthouse as commissioners

By JEFF BISHOP jbishop@newnan.com Turning 94 last week, longtime Coweta public official Leroy Johnson notes that he’s nearly as old as the Coweta County Courthouse.

“It’s just a few years older than I am,” said Johnson. But his mother’s good genes — she lived to be 98 — helped ensure that Johnson would still be around to witness the unveiling of the new renovation/ restoration at the heart of the Newnan Court Square.

“Other than my arthritis, I’m still in pretty good shape,” said Johnson, who still drives by the courthouse on occasion to note the progress of the old building where he once met every couple of weeks with his fellow county commissioners.

In those days, he recalls, the “whittlers’ club” would congregate on the west side of the courthouse in the morning, then migrate to the east side in the afternoon, to get out of the sun. Meanwhile, the men who preferred to spend their time playing checkers would typically gather in one corner or another inside the building.

“I don’t think they ever both-

ered anybody, really,” he said, noting that the whittlers and checker players were mostly retired men over 40.

“They’d bring their lunch and they’d be up there all day long,” he said. “The whittlers would have these piles of shavings all around. They were really good, though. They could make some pretty nice things.”

He learned very quickly that it was best not to speak to the gentlemen as he made his way to the commission chambers in the northwest corner of the building.

“You’d break their concentration if you talked to them, and they didn’t much like that,” he said. “I don’t know if anyone plays checkers much these days or not.”

Johnson was first elected to serve on the board of commissioners on Sept. 8, 1954, to succeed his father, who had died while still in office.

“I was 38 years old, so they looked on me as a little boy,” said Johnson. “In those days, 38 was considered a little too young. So they expected me to sit down and be quiet. But my daddy had served for 21 years before me, so I knew a little

Leroy Johnson in his days as a Coweta County Commissioner.

something about it. It didn’t take me too long to get on their good side.”

He remembered coming to town was an event when he was a young boy growing up in Turin on a farm.

“We didn’t get to come to town too much,” he said. “But when we did come, it was quite amazing to a little fellow like me.”

Johnson remembers that on the east side of the Court Square there was a Kessler’s store, Lee-King Drug Store, and

the First National Bank, located where Brothers Limited is now.

On the north side was another drug store, a men’s clothing store, a ladies’ clothing store, and “various little shops,” he said.

On the west side of the square was the Alamo Theater, another men’s clothing store, a drug store, and two hardware stores, including the old Johnson Hardware.

On the south side of the square was a “big general merchandise store,” a barber shop, and yet another men’s clothing store.

“On the corner, where the Bank of Coweta is now, a fellow named Mansour had an eating place, and he cooked on a kerosene stove,” said Johnson.

“Downtown Newnan was pretty active, in those days,” he said. “Even the upstairs had some small businesses like insurance and things like that.

It was pretty busy.”

The biggest trial he recalls is, of course, the John Wallace murder trial that served as the basis for the book and TV film, “Murder in Coweta County.”

“That was the biggest one ever, in Coweta County,” he said.

There were deputies posted

at the door, and “if you wanted to get up and use the restroom or go to Lee-King to get a sandwich, you’d lose your seat,” he said.

“I managed to get a seat for every day of the trial, but one,” he said.

He remembers that the jurors were sequestered at a hotel where 10 East Washington Street restaurant is now located.

Heard County fortune teller Mayhayley Lancaster’s testimony made a particular impression on him, he said.

“Wallace had been to see her, and she knew he was guilty,” said Johnson. “She had all these different stances she’d make.

But with her statements, she stuck to her word.”

Various renovations and repairs were done to the courthouse during the four decades Johnson served as county commissioner, but none as extensive as those undertaken this time around, he said.

“We would repaint and fix the ceiling,” he said. “But we didn’t have much money, you know. We talked about putting an elevator in at one time, and you talk about getting chewed out — whew! The people didn’t like it. So we didn’t do that.”

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September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 11

t is hard to believe that only 30 minutes south of Atlanta you can find a place so charming, so historic, so embracing of the past, yet so welcoming to the future.

Visit Newnan, known as the “City of Homes” and where country music star Alan Jackson once walked.

Explore museums in Moreland that honor Southern humorist Lewis Grizzard and literary genius Erskine Caldwell. Stroll through Roscoe’s Dunaway Gardens, a breathtaking floral rock garden. Shop for antiques or take a driving tour in the historic districts of Senoia, Grantville, Newnan, and Sharpsburg.

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12 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Photo by Bob Fraley

Headley Construction has put its stamp on the Coweta County Courthouse and much of downtown Newnan. Bill Headley, right, founded the Newnan-based company in 1971. His son Mitch, left, is now company president and headed the recent courthouse restoration.

Headleys put family stamp on Newnan

By ALEX McRAE alex@newnan.com From the top of the newlyrenovated Coweta County Courthouse, you can look in any direction and see the stamp put on downtown Newnan by Headley Construction.

Bill Headley, who founded the company in 1971, says he is grateful his company was selected to do the work that has turned the aging 1904 architectural icon into a showplace that will soon serve again as the symbolic and civic heart of Coweta County.

“Our company motto is ‘Building A Better World,’” Headley says. “And we’ve done plenty of projects in downtown Newnan. But our office is just four blocks from the courthouse and we see it every day when we come to work. This hasn’t been our biggest job, but it was very important to our family to be involved.”

Bill’s son Mitch, who now serves as company president, echoes his father’s sentiments,

saying, “We wanted to be a part of this project because of our relationship with Newnan and Coweta County. It would be heartbreaking having to drive by that courthouse every day and see someone else doing the work.”

Headley Construction will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, but had only been open eight years when it did its first work on the courthouse — repairing the dome during 1979 and 1980.

“It was a mess,” Bill Headley says. “Once we stripped the metal covering off the dome we were surprised at what we found, including lots of bullet holes. It was from people shooting at pigeons. They’ve always been a problem up there.”

Mitch Headley was still attending high school at the time and didn’t work on the ‘79 ‘80 dome restoration, but had already made a contribution to the Court Square by then. Mitch is one of four Headley sons.

Mitch and Luke work for Headley Construction while

Matthew operates his own business, Headley Heating & Air Conditioning. Bill, Jr. served nine years in the U.S. Navy and is now a family physician in Jesup, Ga. All four boys earned the Eagle Scout designation while members of Troop 57 at Central Baptist Church.

For his Eagle Scout project, Mitch decided to clean the Confederate statue that stands on the east side of the courthouse. After receiving permission from the county, Mitch erected scaffolding, summoned the rest of the scout troop and everyone scrubbed and cleaned until the statue looked good as new.

“I didn’t get paid for that Court Square job,” Mitch says.

“But I got a lot of satisfaction from it.”

While Mitch doesn’t remember the work involved with the ‘79 - ‘80 dome repair, he does remember something else.

During the job, Bill Sr., an Auburn graduate, hung up a huge “War Eagle” sign on a scaf-

fold. He says he was urged to do it by the late Bill “Whupper” Lee, an Auburn alumni and former cheerleader who owned Lee-King Drugs, which at the time stood across from the courthouse on East Court Square.

The Auburn banner got everyone’s attention, but failed as a recruiting tool. At least for Mitch, who later attended and graduated from Georgia Tech.

When Headley Construction wasn’t working on the courthouse, employees were busy on numerous other projects in historic downtown Newnan.

Highlights include work on the Bank of Coweta’s Court Square building, the adjacent law offices of Rosenzweig, Jones, Horne & Griffis, P.C., Central Baptist Church, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church of Newnan, Newnan Presbyterian Church, the Commercial House, Bank of America, the downtown Newnan fire station, several buildings used by Coweta County, and The Times-Herald

offices on Jefferson Street.

Headley’s work also includes renovations and additions to its own offices just across the railroad tracks from downtown and the conversion of the former Newnan Cotton Mill to loft apartments.

“It was always important for us to be visible in our hometown,” Bill says. “That was one of our goals, to be part of the community and we’re proud of what we’ve done here.”

The current courthouse renovation was actually two different jobs. The first, done three years ago by Headley, involved a selective demolition in the old courthouse once all county employees vacated and moved into the Coweta County Justice Center or other county offices.

The demolition involved tearing out all “modern” additions (“modern” meaning as recent as the 1970s), stripping walls back to the original plaster, removing walls that had been added over the years and removing drop ceilings.

[Continued on Page 13]

September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 13

Photo by Jeffrey Leo

Photo by Jeffrey Leo

With its fresh copper-clad clock tower now weathering to a “dull penny” glow, the 1904 Coweta County Courthouse was being made ready for its Sept. 18-19, 2010, grand reopening.

The glass clock faces were cracked and broken but the metal numbers and clock hands were salvaged. “We were able to save enough of the original glass that was not damaged to combine and complete the outside portion of one of the clock faces,” said architect Courtney Swann. “The rest was replaced with new glass.”

Headleys oversee two courthouse projects [Continued from Page 12]

“Before the new renovation was done, everyone had to see what was there to start with so they could study the structure and plan to rebuild it as close as possible to the original,” Mitch says. “So we took it down to the bare bones.”

Once Headley started the current renovation, Mitch and Bill weren’t surprised when some surprises showed up.

“When you do a historical renovation, the most important thing is defining the scope of work and planning for unexpected contingencies,” Bill says.

“We knew we’d find things we didn’t expect — and sure enough, we did. But we were able to handle it.”

The biggest challenge was the structural restoration of the courthouse dome prior to recovering the structure with new copper. Once work began, everyone was surprised to learn that the dome had actually shifted and was leaning by three inches.

County employees theorized the dome may have been shifted off center years ago when winds from a gulf coast hurricane blew through town, causing extensive flooding and heavy wind damage.

“They thought maybe the wind got under the dome and moved it,” Mitch said.

The three-inch lean was just

one of many problems. “When we looked in there it was quite alarming,” he said. “We had to basically start from scratch and rebuild the structural supports.”

Mitch says another major concern was the 800-pound bell inside the dome. “It shouldn’t have even been standing,” he says. “There was basically nothing holding it up.”

The biggest problem was jacking up the huge dome so it could be stabilized and leveled.

The work involved building a new foundation for the dome running almost all the way to the building’s floor. But the job was done to everyone’s satisfaction.

While the structural work was going on, Headley officials worked with the architects who studied layers of old paint and freshly-uncovered floors to determine original colors and finishes for the restoration.

“We all worked together to make sure we got it right,” Bill says. “It was a team effort and everybody gave it their best.”

Renovations included upgrading all mechanical systems and retrofitting the structure to meet current building codes and handicapped access requirements. Even the old boiler and steam piping were removed from the basement.

“I think it’s going to be better than ever,” Bill says. “The upgrades make it easier for

everyone to use the building and have access to it.”

The Headleys expected to find some unexpected items in the nooks and crannies of the old building and weren’t surprised when workers came across an old rotating wire drum basket formerly used for jury selection. Names of prospective jurors were written on slips of paper and put in the basket, which was rotated to shuffle the papers before jurors’ names were drawn.

“The workers thought it was something for playing bingo, Mitch says. “They’d never seen anything like it.”

Headley Construction’s twoyear labor of love is now complete and the public will have a chance to savor the results when official grand opening ceremonies are held in just a few days.

No one is more excited than Bill and Mitch Headley.

“We always wanted to be involved in local projects like this,” Mitch says. “This isn’t my biggest project, but it’s the most important to me. Best of all, its something I can look at every day.”

“Our goal has always been to be a family business that cares about the community,” Bill says.

“We put everything we had into this job and we’re proud of our work. I hope everyone will be pleased, and I think they will.”

Photo by Jeffrey Leo

Extensive work was done to the structure of the courthouse clock tower and the copper coverings and decoration. Ultimately, full replacement using remaining copper cladding as patterns was the most economical approach. Deterioration of wood in parts of the tower was more than expected, at some levels the entire exterior wall structure had to be rebuilt, said architect Courtney Swann. Some of the shoring, such as a “wagon wheel” support for the bottom ring of the dome has been left in place, a reminder of the work that was required and for peace of mind, he said.

14 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Coweta’s citizens voted to fund courthouse renovation The citizens of Coweta County voted in 2005 for the historic Coweta County Courthouse renovation project to be part of the 2006 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The project was funded with one percent sales tax paid by all who shop in Coweta, explained Coweta Public Affairs Director Patricia Palmer.

Because of the courthouse’s importance to all of Coweta, the eight Coweta County municipalities agreed to contribute a portion of their SPLOST proceeds to help cover the renovation costs.

The courthouse belongs to

the taxpayers of Coweta County and is maintained by Coweta County Government, Palmer noted. The Coweta County Board of Commissioners awarded the project contracts while county staff oversaw the work and handled the day-to-day decisions.

A citizens committee on the courthouse renovation had members appointed by each county commissioner, by the Newnan City Council and by the Newnan Downtown Development Authority.

Jack Pyburn & Associates was awarded the renovation project as architect. Pyburn joined

Lord, Aeck & Sargent before the project began significantly but remained as primary architectural firm.

Headley Construction of Newnan was awarded the construction contract.

Coweta Superior Court was the sole occupant of the historic Coweta County Courthouse when the last court operations moved out to the Justice Center on Greenville Street.

Coweta Probate Court and the Coweta Convention and Visitors Bureau were selected as the occupants for the courthouse building following the restoration.

Photo by Sarah Campbell

Masterfaux President Kathy Corum adds faux wood grain to wood trim in the courtroom of the 1904 Coweta County Courthouse.

Walls of the large second floor courtroom have been painted in various shades of green — reproductions of the original color scheme. The faux graining was used originally by the courthouse builders so that lower quality, unmatched wood could be used, thus saving money. Basically all the wood, except for the floors, in the public areas of the has been faux painted, said Coweta Public Affairs Director Patricia Palmer.

Photo by Bob Fraley

Research taking core samples of the walls and trim determined the original color palette and finishes for the courtroom from 1904. The colors are rich and nature based. The trim features a faux finish, making the pine look like a more expensive oak.

Photo by Bob Fraley

The horseshoe-shaped table was refinished and replaced in the grand jury room. Two of the original chairs from the grand jury room were located and were in good enough shape to be refinished and installed. Seen at the far end, they are a darker color than the new, similar, chairs.

Photo by Bob Fraley

Safety glass was installed behind the low balcony railings in the courtroom.

September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 15

Coweta courthouse designer was prolific

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com James Wingfield Golucke, the king of Georgia courthouses and designer of the historic Coweta County Courthouse, is buried in a historic cemetery in eastern Georgia — his role as a courthouse architect unheralded.

Golucke is buried in the Crawfordville Cemetery in historic Crawfordville, county seat of Georgia’s least populated county. The cemetery was given by Alexander Hamilton Stephens, a prominent 19th century Georgia politician who served as vice president of the Confederacy.

Stephens’ home, Liberty Hall, is now a state historic site. It is in sight of the cemetery where Golucke rests.

Coweta’s courthouse — beloved by local citizens and a

magnet for filmmakers — is one of 19 designed by Golucke that still stands. Another nine are no more.

Ross King, executive director of the Association of County Commissioners Georgia, commented on how often Golucke’s name pops up in information about courthouses from the turn of the last century.

“He had a phenomenal rise to fame; and although he had no formal training, he became one of the most famous and critically acclaimed architects of his time,” wrote Rhoda Fone, a genealogist related to Golucke’s wife.

Georgia writer and historian Wilber W. “Pete” Caldwell said there is no doubt that Golucke designed more Georgia courthouses than any other person.

Caldwell is the author of “The Courthouse and the Depot: The Architecture of Hope in

Golucke’s courthouses across Georgia The following Georgia courthouse projects are among those attributed to James Wingfield Golucke. He also designed courthouses in Alabama and perhaps other states.

1895 - Johnson County-Wrightsville 1895 - Pike County-Zebulon 1897 - Henry County-McDonough - Similar design to Union County's Courthouse, undergoing a $3 million restoration.

1898 - Clayton County-Jonesboro 1898 - Habersham County-Clarkesville 1899 - DeKalb County-Decatur 1899 - Cobb County-Marietta 1899 - Union County-Blairsville 1900 - Schley County-Ellaville - Similar design to Union County's Courthouse 1900 - Baker County-Newton - Similar design to Union County's Courthouse 1901 - Fannin County-Blue Ridge 1901 - Hart County-Hartwell 1901 - Madison County-Danielsville 1902 - Tattnall County-Reidsville 1902-03 - Bartow County-Cartersville 1902-03 - Meriwether County-Greenville 1902-03 - Pierce County-Blackshear 1902-03 - Twiggs County-Jeffersonville 1904-05 - Cowetta County-Newnan 1905 - Forsyth County-Cumming 1905 - Morgan County-Madison 1905 - Putnam County-Eatonton 1905-06 - Jones County-Gray - Similar design to Union County's Courthouse 1905-06 - Worth County 1906 - Toombs County-Lyons Source: Union County Historical Society Web site — http://unioncountyhistory.org/page43/page51/page54/page55/ page55.html

an Age of Despair.”

Golucke was born June 14, 1857 in Wilkes County. His father was Edmond Golucke, who was born in the Lucoge Kingdom in Westphalia — now part of Austria — in 1827.

Edmond Golucke, who changed the spelling of his surname from Goluche, came to America in 1848.

Caldwell described Edmond Golucke as “an Austrian cabinet maker.”

In 1854, Edmond Golucke married Cornelia Susan Wingfield, a Wilkes County belle. She was the daughter of James Nelson Wingfield and Susan Gordon Wingfield.

Cornelia Golucke had four children before she died in 1862.

Fone — in a post on Rootsweb — listed the inscription from Cornelia Golucke’s tombstone at Resthaven Cemetery in Washington, Ga. — “She was a devoted wife and mother, a dutiful daughter, kind and affectionate sister and a sincere steadfast friend to her family. Her death has caused a vacancy which is uncomparable; they have the consolation though they are left to mourn her loss, she has only passed through the land of the dead to live through a happy and unending eternity.”

The following year, Edmond Golucke married his wife’s

younger sister, Leonora Sabina Wingfield. They also had a son.

The Golucke family moved from Washington — in Wilkes County — to Crawfordville between 1870 and 1880. On April 21, 1878, James Wingfield Terrell married Annulet Darracott, a Taliaferro County native. Rhoda Fone posted information about J. W. and her “Aunt Annie” on Rootsweb. She noted that Annie Golucke’s grandmother, Ann Connell Andrews Chapman, was first married to Marcus Andrews, a brother of Garnett Andrews, a prominent writer, judge, U. S. Congressman and unsuccessful candidate for Georgia governor.

According to Fone, J. W. and Annie Golucke were living in Hancock County in 1880. By 1889 they were living in Atlanta where he was employed as a machinist at the Woodward Lumber Company, she reported.

By the early 1890s, he was in Atlanta where “he worked for a sash and door company,” Caldwell said.

Golucke “was evidently quite gifted,” Caldwell said, and put up a shingle describing himself as an architect. His first courthouse projects were in 1894 in Johnson County and Pike County.

“There was no accreditation for architects” at that time,

The gravesite of James Wingfield Golucke in Crawfordville makes no mention of his role as a designer of numerous Georgia courthouses, including Coweta County’s.

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Golucke’s work was prolific [Continued from Page 15]

like Golucke — simply adapted skills they had to designing such structures.

Golucke’s early designs were Romanesque. After 1900, he moved toward the Classical Revival style easily recognizable in such courthouses as the ones in Newnan and one county south in Greenville. One of his most prominent projects was the granite DeKalb County Courthouse in Decatur — the only one not constructed with brick.

Like most architects of the period, Golucke often reused plans. The Hart County Courthouse has the same design as the one in DeKalb, except in brick. Courthouses in McDonough, Gray, Newton, Sylvester and Blairsville were designed by Golucke and are almost identical.

“Certainly, the one in Newnan is notable,” Caldwell said. He noted that most Classical Revival courthouses of the time featured white trim, but the Coweta courthouse has dark trim.

Golucke came on the scene at a time when counties across Georgia were building new, grand courthouses in anticipation of an economic boom as railroad service expanded across the South. Caldwell noted the Coweta courthouse

was built at a time that a new rail route was being planned from Raymond to Columbus.

Golucke popularized a design that featured porticos on each of a courthouse’s four sides. “I don’t think that was Golucke’s original idea,” Caldwell said.

Golucke had a reputation for offering lower bids than other Atlanta architects for courthouse projects. He was not popular with many of his competitors who sometimes criticized his lack of training. “He was getting all the work,” Caldwell noted.

Golucke also designed Gandy Glover’s home on Temple Avenue in Newnan.

The Queen Anne home has been used in TV and film productions including most recently television series “October Road” and the movie “Get Low” starring Robert Duvall and Bill Murray.

Golucke’s other projects included at least two Alabama courthouses, the Spalding County Jail and Locust Grove Institute in Henry County.

In Milledgeville, he designed buildings at Central State Hospital and Terrell Hall on the Georgia College and State University campus.

In 1907, Golucke was jailed in Baker County for alleged misappropriation of funds in connection with building that

county’s courthouse. He unsuccessfully attempted suicide at the jail in Newton on Oct. 5, 1907. He wrote that he could not stand the confinement in the jail and the disgrace it had brought upon him and his family. Golucke maintained his innocence, but admitted he had failed to closely follow the courthouse’s construction.

There have been rumors that Golucke “was framed by some local boys,” but those stories have never been verified, Caldwell said.

On Oct. 26, 1907, James Wingfield Golucke died. He “died down in Baker County in jail,” Caldwell stated. The architect’s death has been attributed both to gastritis and to “brain fever.”

A marker at the entrance to the Crawfordville Cemetery notes the property was a gift from Stephens in 1873. In an area close to the entrance are the graves of several black Taliaferro County residents who were servants of Stephens and his family. Stephens and his brother, Linton, are buried a short walk away on the grounds of Liberty Hall.

James Wingfield Golucke is buried in the family plot with his father, a brother and a his father’s second wife. His tombstone lists simply his name and dates of birth and death. Other family members are buried

Photo by Bob Fraley

Scaffolding is removed after copper work on the clock tower was completed in Oct. 2009. All the copper on the dome and cupola was replaced as part of the $7.5 million restoration. That included the painstaking reproduction of dozens of ornamental pieces. Sheet metal contractor, Steinrock Roofing and Sheet Metal, was recognized with the 2010 Copper in Architecture Award for the work.

elsewhere in the cemetery.

A visible reminder of the courthouse king’s family forms a focal point of Crawfordville’s downtown area. Golucke Park includes a mural, greenspace and benches and picnic tables

made of rock.

A bandstand sits at one end of the park, which was dedicated in 1997 in memory of Mary McCord Golucke, who married Ralph Wesley Golucke, one of the architect’s nephews.

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September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 17

Probate Court moving back to courthouse

By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL sarah@newnan.com Twenty-two years after Coweta County Probate Court moved from the 1904 Coweta County Courthouse, it’s moving back.

Probate Court will occupy three of the four quadrants of the first floor of the courthouse, and will also use the offices, and courtroom, on the second floor.

The move — and it will be a big one — will likely start the weekend after the courthouse opening events on Sept. 19.

Probate Judge Mary Cranford said that plans are to move various divisions over a few weekends.

She’s a little nervous. “I guess it’s the waiting that gets to you,” she said. “It’s not nervous so much as… just knowing what we’re in for,” she said. “A period of confusion where everything is just not going to be in place

and working the entire time,” she said.

“The plan is to keep both offices functioning as much as possible, to move it piecemeal,” she said.

The most important part of the move will be transporting thousands of records to the two vaults waiting at the courthouse.

Probate Court is home to many of the oldest records in Coweta County.

It has all the Coweta County marriage records and estate records, such as wills, dating back to 1826. There are also all the birth and death records back to 1919.

And those are just the major records. There are oaths of office issued to county officials, firearms licenses, and all records from guardianships and records regarding mentally ill people. Until 1973, those were Photo by Sarah Campbell known as “lunacy” records.

Coweta Probate Judge Mary Cranford displays a will index book. Pictured is a hand-written copy of a [Continued on Page 18]

will from 1853.

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Probate Court returning [Continued from Page 17]

There are also “old records we don’t do anymore,” Cranford said, including plat books and even “whiskey records.”

“There is definitely a lot of history in here,” Cranford said.

The estate records, marriage records, and many other records are public documents and will be in the pubic vault.

The estate records are popular amongst historians and researchers.

“Reading old wills can be very interesting,” Cranford said.

Birth and death records, guardianship and mental illness records, and firearms licenses are not public, and are in the non-public vault.

Many non-public records can be accessed by family members — for instance, you can look up the birth and death certificates of your ancestors.

There are at least two copies of every public record. There is the original will or marriage license, and a copy of it in the index.

The oldest indexes contain hand-written copies of wills and licenses. The entire will is recopied into the index. More recent records are photocopied into the indexes.

The newest records aren’t in index books at all. Instead, they are scanned in and are available digitally.

Many older records have also been scanned in, and can be looked at on computers in the Probate Court offices.

Rarely, if ever, does someone see the actual original record.

Instead, they use the indexes for research.

The oldest records are triple folded and stored in small boxes. More modern records are double-folded and stored in larger file boxes. The newest records are stored unfolded, in standard file folders.

For all their age, the records, stored in fire proof and temperature-controlled vaults, have held up pretty well, Cranford said.

“You will get some that are very delicate when you open them up,” she said. She has put some into flat files, but when records are already folded, it’s best to leave them that way.

The probate court was founded at the same time Coweta County was. Originally, it was called the “Inferior Court.”

Later, it became the Court of Ordinary. Then, in the 1970s, the name was changed to Probate Court.

Probate Court has three main divisions: licensing, probate, and guardianship.

Each division will occupy one quadrant at the courthouse.

Interestingly enough, the Convention and Visitors Bureau will be located in the northeast quadrant that used to house Probate Court.

When county officials were discussing uses for the restored courthouse, everyone knew they wanted to have a government function there — ideally, a court function.

Cranford wasn’t in favor of it being her office.

“I was… against it because I knew what it was going to do.

Not that it isn’t a beautiful old courthouse, and a lovely place to work,” she said. “But knowing my office and how it functions… knowing it is going to take more people, it’s going to cost more.”

Cranford has six employees.

Each works in a particular division, but the way things are now, they can cover for each other and help each other.

In the courthouse, they will be in separate areas.

Cranford said she talked to the commissioners about the problem several years ago and they agreed to add the personnel “I would need to make it work,” she said. She’s asked for two additional part-time employees.

There will be advantages, of course.

A real courtroom is one. The current probate courtroom at the County Administration Building on East Broad Street is small. The reception area for the public in the court offices can get very cramped at times.

And there are no judge’s chambers, or conference rooms for family members.

“The new courtroom will function much better,” Cranford said. There will be plenty of room for video education for guardians and conservators, judge’s chambers, and other rooms for meetings and conferences that are needed as part of the sometimes heart-wrenching and controversial guardianship procedures.

“It is going to be nice to have that kind of space,” Cranford said.

Indexes contain all the records at Coweta Probate Court, including marriage licenses. For many years, marriage licenses were separated by race.

In addition to Judge Mary Cranford, Coweta County Probate Court has six employees. Left to right are Debbie Conner, Hellen Ferrell, Ernestine Wingfield, Jan Dukes, and Bonnie Cowles. Not pictured is Melissa Key.

Tom Dearman recalled as worker at courthouse during construction in 1903

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com Robert Dearman calls Newnan home and for five years worked almost in the shadow of the Coweta County Courthouse — which his grandfather helped build.

Dearman was a firefighter for the City of Newnan from 1964-1969 when the city fire department was located on LaGrange Street near the Carnegie Library. His grandfather, John Thomas Dearman, was a brick mason who worked on the courthouse, which has

recently been restored.

Information gathered by Marie M. Lewis, a family historian, shows Tom Dearman and his wife, Emma, had been married one year when the 1900 U.S. Census was taken. The two — he was 21 years old and she was 22 — were living in Newnan with relatives.

Their residing in Newnan made it easy for Thomas to find work with R. D. Cole Company when the courthouse was being constructed in 1903.

At least two of their children were born while they were in Newnan — Roy Samuel in 1900 and Ruby in 1902. Another

daughter, Sybil, was born in 1905.

Tom and Emma Dearman eventually moved to Unadilla.

They were living in that south Georgia town when their last child, Marvin, was born March 4, 1906.

Emma Dearman died in childbirth. For a time, all the children lived with Tom Dearman’s sister, Mamie.

According to information prepared by Lewis, “Marvin was very tiny, and Mamie would take a pitcher and get goats’ milk to feed him.”

In 1908, Tom Dearman married again. He and his second

wife, Jessie Lee, had a son, Robert Guy. The children from his first marriage came to live with him — except Marvin, who grew up with his aunt. She “raised him as her own,” according to Lewis’s research.

Robert Dearman also knew that his father had grown up in his aunt’s home, and that Willard Dean, a prominent local pastor for many years, was also from that family.

John Thomas Dearman died June 15, 1935 — when Robert Dearman was less than two years old. “I never knew any of them,” he said.

Robert Dearman said he

grew up “in the old mill village over on Berry Avenue.” Marvin Dearman, who was a supervisor at the textile mill, died of cancer in 1947 after a long hospital stay.

It is said that Tom and Jessie Dearman were musically talented and — at one time — played in a Salvation Army band. Jessie Lee Dearman later married David T. McAbee and lived in Spartanburg, S.C. Tom Dearman and many other Cowetans found work building the 1903 courthouse, which stands as a lasting tribute to their craftsmanship.

September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 19

What triggered renovation?

The need for the renovation project at the 1904 Coweta County Courthouse had several triggers — movement of Coweta Superior Court to the new Justice Center building on Greenville Street, requirements of new tenants, need for an elevator and other improvements, and ongoing repairs that indicated more significant issues needed attention.

In 2005, a citizens committee was appointed by the Coweta County Board of Commissioners with some members selected by the Newnan City Council to help determine what offices should be located in the courthouse, explained Coweta County Public Affairs Director Patricia Palmer, who served on the committee.

“After that job was complete, this committee provided feedback on issues throughout the building process and then planned opening festivities,” she said.

“It was clear from the beginning that we would not fully know the condition of the supporting structure of the dome and clock tower until the copper and the interior structure was removed,” she said. The

framework supporting the dome proved to be in worse shape than anyone could have known.

There were also questions about the interior finishes, the floor, chair styles, light fixtures, landscape and more.

“Some we were able to determine and some we had to make decisions based on the best estimates of what might have been in place at that time,” she said. Photos of the courtroom were scarce, but citizens stepped forward with photos that showed the original chairs and judge’s bench.

In the fall of 2008 as the renovation was about to be getting under way in earnest by contractor Headley Construction of Newnan, Steve and Susan West of Newnan shared “before and after” views of the courtroom from the mid 1970s. The pictures were hanging in Steve’s office from a five-year renovation completed in 1975 that was done by his father, William C. West. The courtroom had dark wood trim and auditorium-type seats before the 1970 remodel, when lighter-colored wood benchtype seating was installed, the

Photo by Bob Fraley

In April 2008 project architect Courtney Swann takes photos of some of the damaged areas on the courthouse dome from a bucket hoisted by a crane.

pictures showed.

Lord, Aeck & Sargent architect Courtney Swann notes, “In rehabilitating the historic Coweta County Courthouse, as with any rehabilitation project focused on preservation and restoration, the need for historic documentation is always a force behind decisions.”

Exterior documentation was

readily available in the form of photographs and historic postcards, he said.

But, he added, “It took a community wide request however, to obtain any photographic documentation of the interior of the courtroom.

The interior photos provided the information for the original configuration of the judge’s bench as well as the

Opening Soon

This “before” view of the courtroom was provided by Steve and Susan West of Newnan. It was among pictures that were hanging in Steve’s office from a five-year renovation completed in 1975 done by his father, William C. West. The courtroom had dark wood trim and auditorium-type seats before the 1970 remodel, when light bench-type seating was installed, the pictures showed.

type of seating that existed in the courtroom audience.”

Another level of documentation that was undertaken was a paint analysis to determine the original paint colors. This analysis revealed the use of faux wood graining to give the appearance of stained and varnished wood along with the historic color scheme for the walls, Swann said.

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20 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Courtroom restored to 1904 appearance, colors As near as anyone can tell, the courtroom on the second floor looks virtually identical to the way it did in 1904.

Research taking core samples of the walls and trim determined the original color palette and finishes. The colors are rich and nature based, said Coweta Public Affairs Director Patricia Palmer, who served on the Courthouse Restoration Committee.

The trim features a faux finish, making the pine look like a more expensive oak. This is also on some of the original plaster trim, Palmer said. In 1904, it was cheaper to use the less expensive wood and pay

This is a cross section of a paint chip removed from the plaster “pilaster shaft” in the courtroom, viewed through a microscope.

the labor to finish the wood in a way that made it look more expensive.

The metal ceiling tiles of the courtroom were retained and repaired. Some of the tiles were modified for installation of supplemental lighting, fire suppression, and sound system speakers.

The four chandelier fixtures are not historic but in keeping with the context of the courtroom.

Thanks to the photos shared by community members, it was determined that the original seating in the courtroom was wood backed, metal framed individual theater-style seats.

“That era seat has been added on the main floor and pew seating is in the balcony,” Palmer said. The balcony railing required glass panels for safety.

The main courtroom flooring is cork. An original piece of the cork flooring was found under the jury box, confirming its use originally, Palmer said.

Wood and concrete hexagonal tiles complete flooring through the rest of the building.

All the windows were refurbished, and interior fixed transom windows above the operable windows are once again exposed.

Halls were painted in the original color scheme as supported by the finish analysis, Palmer said.

“There was no documentation of the historic light fixtures for the halls, so again the selection of fixtures that were in keeping with the context of the building and provided sufficient lighting were the primary considerations,” she said.

The horseshoe-shaped table was refinished and replaced in the grand jury room in the second floor northwest corner.

Two of the original chairs from the grand jury room were located and were in good

enough shape to be refinished and installed in the room, Palmer said. The rest of the chairs in the grand jury room, the jury box, jury room and the conference room are new and very similar to the original in design and style.

Following the weekend grand opening Sept. 18-19, 2010, the Coweta Convention and Visitors Bureau and Coweta Probate Court offices will fill the first floor’s four quadrants.

Modifications for new walls

were necessary in the office quadrants to meet the users’ needs, Palmer said.

Even though the Probate Court will no longer be accessed in one space, three of the quadrants of the first floor of the courthouse will house a specific function of the Probate Court.

The Visitors Center and CVB office will occupy the fourth, northeast quadrant — years ago the space of Probate Court.

Photo by Bob Fraley

Getting a look at the Coweta County Courthouse courtroom in April 2007 before the latest restoration are participants in a state “Heart and Soul” bus tour. Leading the group to see the grand jury room and courtroom was Newnan City Councilman George Alexander, left; and helping share the courthouse history was local history buff Elizabeth Beers, back. In the 1970s the light-colored wood bench seating shown here was installed and a light paint scheme added.

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September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 21

Hunter logs plenty of time at courthouse

By ALEX McRAE alex@newnan.com Old buildings can’t speak for themselves but if the newlyrenovated Coweta County Courthouse could pick a spokesperson, it might be Vernon “Mutt” Hunter, who has probably logged more time in the building than any living resident of Coweta County.

Hunter, now 82, has called Coweta home his entire life.

He started working for Coweta County on Friday, Jan. 13, 1950 as a records keeper at the Coweta County Prison. He was 19 years old and had just married his wife, Sue. Several years later, Hunter had earned a degree in accounting and moved to the courthouse to serve as chief administrative assistant to Charlie Arnall, longtime Clerk of the Coweta County Commission. At the time, there was no county administrator and Hunter says the Clerk of the Commission ran the county’s official business.

“It was a different way of doing things back then,” Hunter says. “Mr. Charlie was in charge of everything. And he got things done.”

Hunter had been at the courthouse less than a year when Arnall retired and Hunter took over as Commission Clerk. By then he felt he was ready to move on to a bigger job than he had ever dreamed of while growing up.

“For a man who came out of the cotton fields, I finally made it to town,” he says. “I was doing pretty good.”

One of Hunter’s first priorities was improving personal hygiene conditions in the building. Tobacco chewing was common and cuspidors were scattered all over the building to accommodate the flood of tobacco juice. Hunter knew it was a problem when he accidentally stuck his foot under a table and it landed squarely in a spittoon.

“I told everybody those things had to go,” Hunter says.

“They pretty much went away by themselves. I’m not sure where they went but they all got gone.”

At the time, all the county’s major office holders worked in the courthouse.

In addition to Hunter, The Tax Commissioner, Clerk of Superior Court, Justice of the Peace and Probate Judge called the courthouse home, as did Coweta Sheriff Lamar Potts.

“If you had a big county job

you were in there,” Hunter says. “It was truly the center of everything that went on. Just about everybody in the county came by one time or another to pay taxes, pay fines, get marriage licenses and anything else you can think of.

Folks were always there.”

And they were always under attack from what Hunter calls “the biggest problem I had while I worked at the courthouse.”

He isn’t referring to corrupt politicians, but unruly pigeons Photo by Alex McRae that terrorized citizens from Mutt Hunter at home in Turin. daylight to dusk before retreating to their roosts in the courthouse eaves and dome.

“They had a fist fight up there

“Those things made a mess,” Hunter says. “You couldn’t walk across the street without getting bothered. Everybody complained and I knew something had to be done.”

Someone suggested putting out a granular chemical reputed to a be a good pigeon poison.

Hunter ordered the substance to be spread around the upper reaches of the courthouse, but soon heard a rumor that the substance was harmful to humans, too.

“They said if a pigeon dropped a pellet on a bald man’s head it would kill him,” Hunter says. “I sure didn’t want that.”

Hunter called the company that made the substance and when officials didn’t deny the product’s deadliness, Hunter had the poison removed.

Luckily, another solution appeared when a county maintenance worker asked permission to shoot the pigeons.

Hunter approved, but didn’t realize the man intended to start the job that same day.

“It was lunch time and all of a sudden it sounded like a war out there,” Hunter says. “There was gunfire and people were running and screaming and the sirens started going off and it was a mess. I had no idea what trouble that would cause. But it’s still the best way to get rid of pigeons. I hope they take care of the problem now or the pigeons will ruin that new dome. Pigeon mess and copper are a bad mix.”

Hunter also encountered “people” problems at the courthouse. Coweta’s expert checker players held their daily games on a table right outside Hunter’s first floor office window. Hunter says the checker players fussed and argued and the noise often got so loud he was unable to work.

Hunter decided to solve the problem by offering the checker players a spot in an unused upstairs room. He says they hadn’t been there long before the trouble began again.

and it caused a commotion,” Hunter says. “It was a big deal to be the champion checker player of Coweta County and people took it seriously. But I had to move them back outside.”

There were some lighter courthouse moments, too.

Hunter says spectators loved to gather on Monday mornings to watch as Sheriff Potts and his deputies poured confiscated moonshine into the street gutters on West Court Square.

“I don’t know if they poured out everything they confiscated,” Hunter says. “But it was a good show and people liked to watch.”

Years ago a majority of county residents voted at the courthouse and Hunter says that on

election day, the crowd was so large and unruly county workers sometimes had to abandon their offices. Once the voting was done, the crowd hung around to get the results as votes were counted in the upstairs courtroom. Tempers sometimes grew short, Hunter says.

“There were no brawls, he says, “but there were plenty of squabbles breaking out. Tension got pretty high.”

The main event was when court was in session. When Hunter started working at the courthouse, there was only one judge and all trials were held in the courthouse. Hunter says when court was in session, it was a major social event.

“People came in from all over the county,” he says. “They’d bring their wives and children and pack a lunch and spend the whole day in that courtroom. It was packed.”

Hunter says trials were so popular people begged to be selected for jury duty. “Farmers would ride horses to town and come by and see if they could sit on a jury,” Hunter says.

“Everybody wanted to be part of it.”

The biggest legal event ever hosted at the courthouse was the trial of Meriwether County land baron John Wallace, who was accused of killing a black man. The Wallace trial was the

basis for Margaret Anne Barnes’ book “Murder in Coweta County,” which was made into a movie starring Johnny Cash.

Hunter wasn’t working at the courthouse during the Wallace trial but attended a few sessions of court and says he was impressed.

“I thought it turned out the way it should have,” Hunter says. “Everybody did their job and did it right and the jury reached the right outcome.”

Hunter is glad to see the old building restored to its former glory. He was serving as an elected Coweta County Commissioner when funds for the latest restoration were approved and says moving certain government functions back into the building is a positive step.

“I’m well pleased with what they’ve done to the courthouse,” he says. “I didn’t want it fixed up as a shrine because if it ceases to be used for a purpose, it eventually falls off the budget. As long as you keep county offices in there it has to be on the budget and it has to be maintained. I hope it will continue to be used day in and day out. The courthouse has been a central part of Newnan and Coweta County and I hope it will always be a busy place.”

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22 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — September 17, 2010

Christmas lights once descended from dome to corners of square

By W. WINSTON SKINNER winston@newnan.com Among lifelong Coweta County residents who are now grandparents, many have a Christmas memory of the lights strung from the dome of the Coweta County Courthouse.

Downtown Newnan continues to be decked in holiday splendor each December, but the lights strung from the dome have not been around for decades. Newnan Water and Light Commission used to put the lights up each year.

Metal cables from the dome to each of the four corners of the square were left in place all year round. Strings of lights

were then attached with metal straps each year.

Hal Jones, 79, helped put some of the lights up in 1954. “I was supposed to put in water and sewer lines. I didn’t fool with power lines — electrical lines,” he recalled.

The imminent arrival of Santa Claus, however, caused plans to be rearranged.

Jones remembered that his task was to put the lines in place on the cable that stretched toward the northwest corner of the Court Square — across from the Alamo, which was then a movie theater.

“I don’t remember who was up there with me. Somebody was,” he said.

Jones does remember that he worked on the project for awhile but was then asked to do other work. “I was pulled off the job after I started,” he said.

Apparently, 1954 was not the first year for the Christmas lights. The metal cables “were already there” when he started his work, Jones recalled. “I think they were up there several years after that.”

Jones never had to help with the Yuletide light project again.

He only worked for Newnan Water and Light about six months. Jones found a job at the General Motors plant at Lakewood near Atlanta and retired after more than 36 years.

This photo of the Court Square Christmas lights was taken by John F. Caldwell Jr. of Newnan in 1973.

Out with the non-historic, in with new technology Non-historic interior additions to the 1904 Coweta County Courthouse were removed as part of the restoration.

The non-historic demolition was done first. This removed all portions of the building that had been added over the years, along with the removal of the HVAC and other systems that were being replaced.

Walls and rooms that had

been added were all taken out, down to the original floorplan.

There was demolition of added walls, particularly on the second floor in the courtroom area. Concrete floors and ceilings on the first floor that were installed when vault space was expanded were removed.

“It is often necessary to complete a non-historic demolition project during the design

development phase for the rehabilitation of historically significant structures such as the historic Coweta County Courthouse,” explained Lord, Aeck & Sargent architect Courtney Swann.

The non-historic demolition removes added/modern materials and features to expose historically significant detailing and features. Once reexposed, it could be seen what

features needed repair in a rehabilitation project — the goal being to feature the historic character of the building.

“For example, the removal of lowered ceilings throughout the office areas of the courthouse revealed the plaster crown molding at ceilings and the extent of ornamental wood trim remaining around the transom windows on both the doors and windows,” Swann said.

Among additions and

improvements a new and improved HVAC system was installed.

New restrooms were added on the first and second floors and the restrooms with the outside entrance were significantly improved.

An elevator was added, greatly improving accessibility.

A catering kitchen/breakroom was added, as were modern telecommunications and security features.

Photo by Bob Fraley

There is bench seating in the courtroom balcony. Flooring in the balcony is wood, cork flooring was placed on the main courtroom floor after investigation found that was the original material.

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September 17, 2010 — The Times-Herald Courthouse Tribute — 23

Grounds presented obstacles, opportunities The exterior masonry of the 1904 Coweta County Courthouse was cleaned and repaired, including repointing of the brick and stone base, said Coweta Public Affairs Director Patricia Palmer.

Stone columns and steps were also repaired.

Copper on the upper parts of the building other than the clock tower did not require replacement, but was cleaned.

The courthouse grounds presented both “obstacles and opportunities,” Palmer said.

Removal of trees and shrubs close to the courthouse and reinstallation of lawns were a significant point of discussion for the advisory committee, she said.

“While it was necessary to remove most of the trees, due to age and sickness, more trees will be replaced on each side of the sidewalk entries to the courthouse grounds this fall when the weather is more conducive,” she said.

Sod was installed and very limited shrubs were planted.

At some point in the last 100 years, the brick wall around the courthouse was changed from its original angular corners to curved walls, Palmer said.

Portions of the wall were reconstructed, restoring it to the original square shape.

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Among vendors for the Coweta County Courthouse altered as well.

—J & J Concrete, Inc., Willie Walton, Newnan, GA. restoration: “A big consideration in how to —Joe Burton Company, Roger Johnston, Tucker, —A Abby Lawn Care, Inc., Brian Lowery, Tyrone, GA. finish this area was the success GA. —ALTM Fabrication, Inc., Larry Huggins, Newnan. of Newnan’s downtown events —K & S Glass Co., Wayne Kelly, Newnan.

—Architectural Concrete Co., Inc., Kevin Kent and the impact of foot traffic on —Kenner and Son, Inc., Mike Kenner, Colbert, GA. Palmetto, GA. the area,” Palmer said.

—Lovvorn Door & Window Co., Ben Lovvorn, —Architectural Window and Door, Inc., Gary “Originally this area had been Rockmart, GA. Veclotch, Tyrone, GA. a lawn, but there was concern —Merrell & Associates Inc., Tony Rogers, Carrollton, —Atlanta Blind & Shade, Marietta. about the maintenance and GA. —Atlanta Electrical Inc., Tim Frier, Villa Rica, GA. replacement needs with so —Piedmont Geotechnical Inc., Kevin Burnette, —Big Dog Demolition, Barry Caldwell, Marietta, GA. —Carl E. Smith & Sons Building Materials, Turin, GA. Newnan. much use,” she said.

—Ponsford, Gordon Ponsford - ceiling work, con—Carpet Sales and Consultants, Inc. Placing sidewalk there would crete pavers, balcony work.

—Sally Chao, CSC Flooring, Marietta, GA. have been another 12 feet of —Sargent Mill Woodworking, LLC, Robert Aulicky, —Cascade Services Co., Atlanta, GA. hard surface with no break. The Newnan.

—Champion Millworks, Kenny Carnes, Tyrone, GA. compromise was to install brick —Schindler Elevator Corporation, Scott Wallace, —Commonwealth DRW, Kathy Corum, Dacula, GA. pavers between the entryways —Concrete & Masonry Supply, Scott Roth, Fairburn, Smyrna, GA. to the courthouse and the cor—Shatone, Tony Neja, Whitesburg, GA. GA. ners and to place lawn in the —Sign-A-Rama, Newnan, exterior location signs.

—Concrete Supply, Billy Arnold, Fayetteville, GA squares where trees will be —Spalding Plumbing, Inc., Bobby Amon, —Creative Painting Specialists, Steve Wallis, Experiment, GA. Jacksonville, FL. planted.

—Steinrock Roofing, Tim Steinrock, Louisville, KY. —Estes Landscape Design, Inc., Rob Estes, The one existing flag pole at —U.S. Bronze, NY, directional signage.

Newnan, GA. the west entrance was replaced —Walker Concrete, Leah Croft, Stockbridge, GA. —Fire Away, Inc., Paul Green, Conyers, GA. with three, allowing display of —West Georgia Fire Extinguisher, Dennis Stanford, —Full Compass Systems, WI, sound equipment. the U.S., Georgia and Coweta Carrollton, GA. —Future Home Services, LLC, Gary Maddux, Pine County flags.

Exterior monuments have been placed over the years by years, in some cases never, needed cleaning, new finishing tinue to remind us of local sacriand sealing and in some cases fices for years to come,” she various groups and for various Palmer said.

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