Old DeKalb County Courthouse
Also known as: Civic Center
Why it's listed
Standing on the town square in Decatur, Georgia, the old DeKalb County Courthouse is a granite building in the Beaux Arts neo-classical style. Its present form dates to 1917-1918, when Atlanta architects Walker and Chase used the ruined shell of a courthouse begun in 1898 as the base for a larger design after a 1916 fire. They added east and west wings and pedimented Corinthian porticoes on the north and south. The exterior is cut Stone Mountain granite, the roof is terra cotta tile, and the interior stairways are Alabama marble. Courthouses have occupied the square since about 1823, and the site also saw Civil War fighting on July 22, 1864, remembered by a 1906 monument. When a larger county building was built nearby, some people argued for demolishing the old courthouse, while others valued it as a landmark. It was cleaned in 1968 and now serves as a civic center with county offices, a historical society and meeting space.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a notable example of Beaux Arts neo-classicism and significant in architecture and urban planning. The square has been the site of DeKalb's courthouses since 1823 and was the center of town and county life. It also holds Civil War associations, including fighting on July 22, 1864 and a monument erected in 1906.
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 71001016, listed August 26, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Court Sq., Decatur |
|---|---|
| County | DeKalb County |
| Listed | August 26, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71001016 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1898-1900; 1917-1918 |
| Architect / builder | Walker and Chase, Atlanta architects |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts neo-classicism |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a civic center housing county parks and recreation offices, the DeKalb Historical Society and other groups; exterior described as excellent and cleaned in 1968. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Within district | Decatur Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.77502, -84.29664 (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 71001016.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134296241
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.