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Big New Courthouse Built Without Bonds or Federal Aid
proud Edifice
C05t5325,000
Paid In Cash
Houston county’s new $325,-
000 courthouse, dedicated in
1950, is the first courthouse
ev er built in the state without
a bond issue or loan to finance
it—or federal aid of any kind.
When the gleaming: new
structure was opened last year,
the present editor and publish
er of The Home Journal asked
a former editor to write a his
tory of the project, dating back
to 1922. It follows;
BY RUBY C. HODGES
County Historian
The dedication of Houston
county’s new courthouse in 1950
marked the culmination of five
years of definite planning on the
part of the board of county com
missioners, and of aspirations
dating back over 25 years on the
part of Houston county citizens
for such a building.
To get a clearer perspective of
the modern history of this move
ment, it is necessary to look in
retrospect to the first efforts to
build which were made in 1923
before Houston county was divid
ed to form Peach county.
County Dividend
Anticipating that Houston
would eventually be divided, al
though the amendment to create
Peach county was defeated in the
general election of November,
1922, the board of commissioners
made plans to build a new court
house in Perry before the divi
sion occurred. The board, com
posed at the time of J. Alva
Davis, Smith and J. H.
Watson, Sr., had an architect to
draw plans for a new Court
house in 1923.
The board was thwarted in
their efforts by a grand jury,
composed largely of citizens de
siring the creation of Peach coun
ty, which demanded that a new
jail be built instead of a court
CONGRATULATIONS
TO
THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
AND
BEST WISHES
TO ALL
Houston County Citizens
Athens Atlanta Augusta MACON Savannah Valdosta
house. A group of citizens from
the upper part of Houston coun
ty also opposed the building of a
courthouse because of the debt
that would result. Therefore, a
new $40,000 jail was built in lieu
of a courthouse.
Peach Formed
In 1925, Peach county became
a reality with the consent of
Houston county leaders after it
was apparent that the county site
would be moved from Perry to
Fort Valley. Following the di
vision of the county and the loss
of revenue from same, Houston
was in no position financially to
build a courthouse; for road ma
chinery and equipment of all
kinds had to be purchased.
Although dealt a blow by the
creation of Peach county, Hous
ton was most fortunate in having
its first large industry, a cement
I plant, begin operation in the
same year, 1925. The construc
tion of a $3,000,000 plant by the
Penn-Dixie Cement Corp. at
Clinchfield, six miles from Perry,
gave Houston county a consider
able increase in population and in
revenue. The coming of the ce
ment plant and the development
of the limerock industry in this
county gave an impetus to road
paving in the state of Georgia.
Good Roads First
Because of these industries in
this area and the strategic loca
tion of Perry, the county site,
on national and state highway,
county leaders decided it was
more imperative to pave roads
than it was to build a new court
house. Accordingly, the county
voted $200,000 of road bonds in
1926, which far-sighted move has
helped make this section one of
the leading tourist centers of the
Nation.
Also, it was necessary to vote
bonds to build modern, brick
school buildings, both at Perry
and at Bonaire, as there was not
an adequate or suitable building
at either place. As they should
have been, schools were placed
first when bonding capacity
would not permit the building of
schools, paved roads and a court
house.
W . j •• *
& r , >4" " JSL ;■ m - W
HOUSTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, BUILT IN 1949-50 AT A TOTAL COST OF $325,000
Then came the great depres-1
sion of the 1930’s when property
I owners could not pay their taxes
j and the county became further
involved financially. It was im
possible under such conditions to
build a courthouse.
State Aid
During this period, the county
received financial aid which en
abled the commissioners to re
tire road bonds as they became
due and to pay some of the other
debts of the county.
The late J. P. Duncan of Perry,
Houston county’s representative
at that time, was co-author of
the bill providing for the refund
ing of the amount of road bonds
over a period of 10 years. The
county comfnissioners declare
that this assistance was responsi
ble for their being able to meet
other obligations and clear the
way to finance the courthouse.
Modern History of Movement
About 1940, a number of citi
zens appealed to the county com
missioners to do something
about repairing or replacing the
ancient, dilapidated courthouse.
A building engineer examined the
old structure and found it to be
deteriorating rapidly and in an
unsafe condition. The commis
sioners decided not to spend any
money on the old building but to
make plans for a new building
just as soon as the financial con-1
| dition of the county would per
mit such an undertaking.
In 1941, World War II put an
end to all public building except
that connected with the war es- j
fort. Again fate intervened in j
the building of a courthouse but
Houston county continued to j
grow and prosper.
With the location of the War
ner Robins Air Depot and Robins
Field in Houston county during
the war period, there resulted a
doubling of the population and a
great increase in revenue to the
county.
Tax Levied in 1945
Responding to public demand
and county needs ,the board of
county commissioners took the
first definite step towards obtain
ing a new courthouse in August,
1945, when they added an addi
tional five mill levy to the tax
digest for the purpose of financ
ing the building. Also, they en-.
gaged E. Oren Smith, architect,
of Columbus, Ga., to draw plans
for the new courthouse. In No
vember, 1945, Mr. Smith sub
mitted preliminary drawing for
county officers to consider.
Although publicity was given
to these plans in 1945, actual cos
truction did not begin until Nov
ember, 1945.
The county commissioners were
prodded many times by the
i present editor of the Home Jfour
■ nal for their delay in the matter.
Also, two grand juries reminded
| the commissioners of the bad
| condition of the old courthouse.
After all of the details had been
j worked out, there was a brief de
lay due to a controversy among
j citizens as to the location of the
building. There were some peo
ple who wanted to place the new
building on another site in Perry
but the majority of the people
of Houston county wanted the
new courthouse erected on the
old site.
Contract Let
Therefore, in October, 1948, the
old building was razed and its
debris moved away by the in
mates of the county public works
camp. The contract was let to
construct the new building was
let to the S. J. Curry Company
of Albany, Ga. Work on the
foundation began in November,
i 1948.
Sixteen months later, on March
1, 1950, the building, which is
rated as the finest of its kind in
Georgia, was completed. County
officers and agencies occupied the
building during the first week of
March.
The board of county commis
sioners who made the plans and
let the contract for the building
' was composed of J. Alva Davis,
' chairman; T. L. Warren, vice
chairman; Wyatt D. Kersey, War-
ren B. Hodge and Claude Watson.
Mr. Davis retired in 1949 after
serving for 26 years. Mr. Warren 1
succeeded him as chairman and j
John T. Miller was elected to the
vacancy.
Others who served on the
board at various times between
1925 and 1946 were the following
deceased citizens; G. E. Tucker.
John W. Hodge, O. B. Muse, H. E.
Talton, J. P. Cooper and A. L.
Sasser. The former mayor of
Warner Robins, C. B, (Boss) Wat
son, was also a county commis
sioner for several years.
The county commissioners aro
the fiscal agents of the county
and the custodians of its proper
ty. They deserve the praise of
Houston county citizens for the
fine new building.
Say yon saw it in The Home
I Journal.
NEW HOME
OF ONE OF THE
Oldest Business Schools
IN GEORGIA
KEEPING PACE WITH THE TIMES
NOW at 556 First St.
ACROSS FROM MACON CITY HALL
WE SALUTE THE MANY CITIZENS OF HOUSTON
COUNTY WHO ARE OUR GRADUATES AND STAND
READY TO SERVE OTHERS WITH THE BEST AND
MOST MODERN TRAINING FOR BUSINESS SUC
CESS.
G. A. B. SCHOOL OF COMMERCE
556 FIRST STREET, MACON, GA.
J. A. KNOTT, DIRECTOR
Merchants 7 Group
Active in Perry
Perry’s Merchants Association
was re-organized with renewed
establishing policies and a code
of ethics for Perry merchants,
and to work toward the advance
ment of Perry by encouraging
trade-at-home.
The organization, organized in
1949, adopted a constitution and
wa sre-organized with renewed
interest.
The association today is headed
by Dudley Jones, local jeweler.
Other officers include Louis Har
per, secretary.
First white child born in Hous
ton County was Milton Wright,
who was born Dec. 19, 1823, ac
cording to The Home Journal of
Jan. 4, 1900.
■ au