Richmond County

US States / A-G / Georgia / Richmond County
Richmond

Richmond County is named for the third Duke of Richmond, who was the British Secretary of State and sympathetic to the cause of the American colonies.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – McDuffie County and Columbia County

E – Edgefield County, South Carolina and Aiken County, South Carolina

S – Burke County

W – Jefferson County

 

Created:  January 23, 1780                    Map of Georgia highlighting Richmond County

County Seat:  

Augusta  1780 – present

 

Old County Courthouse – Augusta 

 

Location:  530 Greene Street / Monument Street

Built:  1956 – 1957

Style:  Modern

Architect:  Scroggs & Ewing of Augusta and Kuhlke & Wade

Contractor:  Beer Construction Company of Atlanta

 

Description:  The building faces north and is a nine story stone, glass and concrete structure.  The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Augusta and  has protruding three story wings on the east and west sides. The building is faced with a gray colored polished stone and vertical dividers run between the windows. The roof line is flat. The building houses the City of Augusta offices. An addition is being constructed in 2014 on the south side. The architect was Virgo Gambill Architects and the contractor was Turner Corporation and Heery International Inc.

 

County Courthouse – Augusta 

 

2345c14

 

Location:  735 James Brown Boulevard / Walton Way

Built:  2009 – 2011

Style:  Modern

Architect:  Turner Associates/Architects & Planners, Inc.

Contractor:  Potts Construction of Conyers

 

Description:  The building faces east and is a four story red colored brick, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds to the south of the center of Augusta. The building has a extended south wing with projecting glass windows on the second and third stories, In the center of the east front is a large portico with four columns rising two stories to a header and with three vertical glass sections. On the north side is a large circular section with vertical windows. On the center of the roof is a large square tower with vertical openings at the top. The roof line is flat.  The building is named as the John H Ruffin Courthouse. The construction manager was Heery International Inc.

 

Old Government House – Augusta 

 

2359c14

 

Location:  423 Telfair Street / Courthouse Lane

Built:  1801

Style:  Greek Revival / Victorian

Architect:  Unknown

Contractor:  Unknown

 

Description:  The building faces north and two story brick and wood structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Augusta. The building was later stuccoed, with parapet end chimneys. Wings are recessed from the front facade and project in four-sided sections in the rear. Delicate iron filigree work on the front facade forms a first story portico and supports an iron railing balcony at the second story. Iron work also forms horizontal panels in front of small recessed rectangles of the attic. Across the rear facade, the projecting wings are connected by a colonnade of square Doric columns at each story level. The building served as the courthouse from 1801 to 1821.

 

See:  Old Government House is the oldest courthouse ( 1801 ) still standing in Georgia. The second oldest courthouse ( 1825 ) is located in Fayette County. The third oldest courthouse  ( 1832 ) is located in Crawford CountyThe fourth oldest courthouse ( 1836 ) is located in Lumpkin County.

 

See:  National Register of Historic Places – Old Government House

 

History:  The county was created in 1780 and Augusta was designated as the county seat. The first courthouse was a house on Bay Street purchased in 1784. The building was also used for the Georgia state capitol. The second courthouse was constructed in 1801 on Telfair Street in 1801 as the City Hall and courthouse known as “Government House” and is still standing. The third courthouse was designed by John Land and built in 1820 on Greene Street. Wings were added to the courthouse in 1870, and the entire structure remodeled in 1892. The architect was L F Goodrich. The fourth courthouse was constructed in 1956 to 1957 as the Municipal Building. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 2009 to 2011.

 

  

0446sc08

Old County Courthouse – Augusta

 

 

0447sc08

 

 

2338c14

 

 

2339c14

 

 

2340c14

 

 

2341c14

 

 

2346c14

County Courthouse – Augusta

 

 

2347c14

 

 

2348c14

 

 

2349c14

 

 

2355c14

 

 

2352c14

 

 

2351c14

 

 

2356c14

Old Government House – Augusta

 

 

2358c14

 

 

2360c14

 

 

2361c14

 

 

2363c14

 

 

2364c14

 

 

2357c14

 

 

0448sc08

Photos taken 2008 and 2014