New T-Shirts Available

Chuck Hurt, MVHS VP, and Ruth Wall, MVHS President, hold a new t-shirt being sold by the Marble Valley Historical Society. The shirt contains a sketch of the Pickens County Courthouse drawn by George McLaughlin.
 

Press Release

Pickens County Courthouse Listed in National Register

ATLANTA (May 28, 2008) - The Pickens County Courthouse, located on North Main Street in Jasper, Pickens County, was listed in the National Register on April 29, 2008. The City of Jasper and the Marble Valley Historical Society sponsored the nomination. Mimi Jo Butler Hill of the Marble Valley Historical Society prepared the nomination materials.

Pickens County Courthouse is being nominated at the state level of significance as an excellent example of a Stripped Classical-style building that has served as the county's central government complex since its construction in 1949.

The courthouse is significant in the area of architecture because it is an excellent intact example of a Stripped Classical-style courthouse. This style of architecture developed during the late-1930s and references classical architectural styles while minimizing the ornamental detail characteristic of classicism. While many courthouses in the state contain marble exteriors, the Pickens County Courthouse is one of the few clad with locally quarried marble. The county's choice of exteriors not only accentuates the building's Stripped Classical style but also reflects the county's lucrative marble industry.

The building is also significant in the area of politics/ government because of its direct association with governmental operations in Pickens County since 1949. In Georgia, county courthouses not only hold such events as trials and elections, but also function as centers of the local community, frequently hosting festivals, society meetings, and other programs.

Pickens County built the extant building following the destruction by fire of their 1889 courthouse in 1947. Georgia-born architects Richard Nash and Eugene Bothwell, a.k.a. Bothwell and Nash, designed the extant courthouse. The county used a convict labor force to construct the building. This two-story courthouse has retained its essential form and floor plan since its construction in 1949. The building's rectangular façade with symmetrical side wings has a rear ell, giving it an "L" shape. Interior details include terrazzo floors, wainscoting, and ornamental staircases. The first floor contains county offices and two vaults connected by perpendicular hallways. The second floor contains a courtroom, jury room, and offices for the judge and judicial staff members.

The National Register is the federal government's official list of historic buildings, structures, sites, objects, and districts worthy of preservation. According to Richard Cloues, deputy state historic preservation officer, listing in the National Register recognizes a property's significance and ensures that the property will be taken into account in the planning of federally funded or licensed projects. In addition, owners of income producing National Register properties may be eligible for rehabilitation tax incentives.