Chattooga County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Chattooga County's courthouse, built in 1909 on Courthouse Square in Summerville, is a Neo-Classical building designed by the Bryan Architectural Firm and constructed by Falls City Construction Co. of St. Louis at a cost of $50,000 to $60,000. Its granite-faced masonry walls carry three pedimented entrances with Corinthian tetrastyle porticoes, plus a simpler side entrance with four Corinthian pilasters. Pavilions project from a central core, and a domed clock tower with a lantern rises in three stages. An iron fence surrounds the grounds. Inside, original wooden doors remain, and marble wainscoting lines the first-floor hall. The courtroom has been altered, with a lowered ceiling and an enclosed balcony, but an arched stained glass window behind the bench still reads "wisdom, justice and moderation." The building was listed as one of the finest in the county and as a focal point of Summerville, facing the town's main street.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as one of the finest buildings in Chattooga County. It faces the town's main street and serves as an architectural focal point for Summerville. It is listed as part of a thematic group of Georgia courthouses.
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 80000988, 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., Summerville |
|---|---|
| County | Chattooga County |
| Listed | September 18, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000988 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Bryan Architectural Firm; contractor Falls City Construction Co., St. Louis, Mo. |
| Architectural style | Neo-Classical |
| Areas of significance | Economics, Law, Politics/Government, Architecture, Communications |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is rated fair. The form notes a non-historic jail within the boundary and an altered courtroom with a lowered ceiling and an enclosed balcony. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Within district | Summerville Commercial Historic District |
| Coordinates | 34.48044, -85.34856 (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 80000988.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q55607163
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.