Bartow County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Bartow County Courthouse occupies Courthouse Square in Cartersville, Georgia. Completed in 1902, it is a Neo-Classical building of brick with stone columns and trim. A Corinthian hexastyle portico forms the main entrance, and a Corinthian distyle entrance faces east. A clock tower rises in three stages to a ribbed gold-colored dome, with clocks facing four directions. Front windows are rectangular with emphasized keystones, while the sides and rear have square windows with plain stone lintels. Inside, marble from quarries at Tate, Georgia, covers the lobby floor, and the woodwork is solid oak with a dark stain. The rotunda has been altered, its ceiling now acoustical tile, and the courtroom balcony has been closed. Many additions have been made to the building, and its condition is listed as fair. The courthouse is recognized in connection with architect J. W. Golucke and as the center of county government, where political information circulates and official records are kept.
Significance in brief: The nomination refers to a general statement of significance about the architect J. W. Golucke. It also notes that the courthouse, as the center of local government, serves as a focal point for sharing political information and keeping vital statistics and official records safe.
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 80000971, listed September 18, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Courthouse Sq., Cartersville |
|---|---|
| County | Bartow County |
| Listed | September 18, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000971 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Kenneth McDonald & Co.; contractor Fred Wagner; J. W. Golucke & Co. associate architect |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical |
| Areas of significance | Economics, Law, Politics/Government, Architecture, Communications |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated fair; many additions have been made to the building and the interior rotunda has been altered. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Cartersville Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.16593, -84.79791 (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 80000971.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4865772
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.