Taylor County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Taylor County's courthouse in Butler is a two-story brick building completed in 1935 and designed by Columbus architect Frederick Roy Duncan. Its Neoclassical Revival design includes pedimented porticos, quoins, keystones and a Colonial Revival cupola with a clock tower. Inside, a cross-shaped plan, terrazzo floors, engaged columns and a classically detailed courtroom survive. The building replaced an 1850s courthouse that was torn down in 1934 and 1935, and Civil Works Administration money, along with county bonds, paid for the work as part of Depression-era relief efforts. Its grounds hold a large lawn, shade trees, sidewalks, a Confederate monument and a small six-sided former police station. The property was recognized for its architecture, its landscape design, and its long role as the seat of county government. It is one of a group of Georgia courthouses built between 1930 and 1945, and one of twelve funded through federal relief programs.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be a good, intact example of a 1930s Neoclassical Revival community landmark building with prominent classical details and a Colonial Revival cupola. It is also significant for landscape architecture and for local government, having served as the center of county government since 1935. It was built with federal Civil Works Administration funds during the New Deal.
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 95000719, listed June 14, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Butler |
|---|---|
| County | Taylor County |
| Listed | June 14, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000719 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1935-1945 |
| Architect / builder | Frederick Roy Duncan - architect of courthouse; M. Entrekin of Columbus served as contractor |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival/Colonial Revival (described as Neoclassical Revival with a Colonial Revival cupola) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as the county courthouse; the small former police station on the grounds is no longer in use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Butler Downtown Historic district |
| Coordinates | 32.55719, -84.23743 (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 95000719.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7689923
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.