Bacon County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Completed in 1919 on Main Street in Alma, Georgia, this brick courthouse was designed by J. J. Baldwin and built by contractor R. W. Wimbish. Its Neo-Classical design places the entrance at a corner of the block, with a Corinthian tetrastyle portico, a full entablature and a pediment. Brick quoins mark the facade, and round-arched second-floor windows carry emphasized keystones. The windows have small panes and rectangular transoms. A clock tower rises in three stages and ends in a small dome topped by an urn finial. Inside, the elevated courtroom has a gallery on three sides reached by two sets of stairs, old theater seats on both levels, and beams that divide the ceiling into nine recessed areas. The building is notable as one of only two courthouses in Georgia with a main entrance facing a block corner, the other being in Madison, Morgan County. It is also tied to the work of architect J. J. Baldwin. Its condition is described as fair.
Significance in brief: The nomination refers to the general statement of significance on architect J. J. Baldwin. It also notes that this is one of only two courthouses in Georgia whose main entrance faces the corner of a block. The other is the Morgan County courthouse in Madison.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000967, listed September 18, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Alma |
|---|---|
| County | Bacon County |
| Listed | September 18, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000967 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | J. J. Baldwin (architect); R. W. Wimbish (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical |
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Economics, Politics/Government, Architecture, Communications |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked as fair. The county commissioners, as owners, supported the nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 31.54127, -82.46263 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000967.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16163418
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.