Dodge County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Dodge County's courthouse in Eastman, Georgia, is a Neo-classical building of brick with stone trim, recorded with a 1908 construction date and a cost of $125,000. E. C. Hosford is named as architect and builder, with M. L. Lewman & Co. as contractor. The building is described as massive, compact and heavy. Its main entrance has four Doric columns beneath a full entablature and pediment, with a balcony above the entry. Colossal pilasters alternate with windows around the exterior, rectangular on the first floor and round-arched on the second. The original clock tower has been removed, and the interior has been partly modernized. In the courtroom, arcades separate the windows from the litigation and spectator sections. The courthouse sits in a park-like square, and its size makes it an architectural focal point for Eastman. It was included in a statewide group of Georgia courthouses. A county commissioner's note in 1979 stated that the building burned and was rebuilt in 1939.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that the courthouse, set in its park-like square, is massive enough to serve as an architectural focal point for the city of Eastman. It is part of a thematic group of Georgia county courthouses. The form also notes distinctive courtroom arcades.
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 80001012, 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., Eastman |
|---|---|
| County | Dodge County |
| Listed | September 18, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001012 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | E. C. Hosford (architect/builder); M. L. Lewman & Co. (contractor) |
| 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 marked good; some interior modernization has occurred and the original clock tower has been removed. A 1979 owner comment says the building burned and was rebuilt in 1939. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 32.20096, -83.17618 (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 80001012.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5287853
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.