Douglas County | US Courthouses

Douglas County is named for Stephen Arnold Douglas, who was an Illinois Democratic Congressman who ran against Abraham Lincoln for the presidency in 1860.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Paulding County and Cobb County

E – Fulton County

S – Fulton County and Carroll County

W – Carroll County

Created: October 17, 1870

County Seat:

Douglasville 1870 – present

County Courthouse – Douglasville

Location: 8700 Hospital Drive / Doris Road

Built: 1997 – 1998

Style: Modern Classical Revival

Architect: Cooper Carry, Inc.

Contractor: Turner Construction Company

Description: The building faces northwest and is a four story red colored brick, concrete and stone structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds to the southeast of the center of Douglasville. The northwest entrance has four large columns rising to a pediment with round window. The northwest wings are lower than the main building and extend in “V” formation with vertical dividers with windows between. Behind the central entrance is the large square main building. On the center of the roof is a large white colored dome with black colored roof and small cupola at the top. The interor has a large central rotunda rising to the dome. During construction, the project manager was Carter & Associates.

Old County Courthouse – Douglasville

Location: 6754 Bowden Street / Church Street

Built: 1956 – 1957

Style: Modern

Architect: Harry F Roos Jr. of Southern Engineering of Atlanta

Contractor: McKown Construction Company

Description: The building faces north and is a two story concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Douglasville. The center section rises above the east and west wings and has a stone faced center area. On the west side of the center section is the main entrance with a large curved canopy. The wall is glass panels with vertical concrete dividers. The old courtroom is located at the southeast corner of the first story. The building houses a museum and community organizations.

Note: After the 1896 courthouse was destroyed by fire on Jan. 11, 1956, Douglas County voters approved a special bond election in June 1956 to fund construction of a new courthouse. The new courthouse was built on the site of the previous three courthouses. By the mid-1990s, Douglas County government was located in seven different buildings in downtown Douglasville, leading county officials to seek voter approval for funding a new county government complex at a site about a half mile away. After the new government complex was completed in 1998, county officials moved out of the old courthouse, which subsequently became a local museum and home to the Douglas County Historical Society and other community organizations.

History: The first courthouse was a three room wood structure built in 1871. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure built in 1880. The building was faulty and abandoned in 1884 as the court used other premises. The third courthouse was a large two story brick structure designed by Andrew J Bryan & Company and constructed by T C Thompson & Brothers built in 1896. The building burned on January 11, 1956 and the fourth courthouse was constructed in 1956 to 1957 and is still standing. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1997 to 1998.