Montgomery County Georgia Web Portal

We are very proud of the fact that the Montgomery County Courthouse is on the Registry of Historic Buildings. It was built in 1907 and opened for business in 1909.

The original Montgomery County Courthouse was a wood structure and was built across from the present Presbyterian Church on Washington Street in Mt. Vernon. It was not painted, and was used for quite some time in the early 1800’s.

Once the first county courthouse was outgrown, and the building needed quite a few repairs, a second county courthouse was built in 1857. It was a two story wooden structure, and was painted white. The 1857 two story wood courthouse was located on the land where the present courthouse now stands in downtown Mt. Vernon. In 1857 downtown area of Mt. Vernon consisted of John Wesley Morrison’s store and the courthouse. The 1857 wooden courthouse was used until 1909 when our present courthouse was put into service.

In 1907 the old wood courthouse was actually moved backward a short distance so it could still be used while the new courthouse was being built. The new courthouse was built in front of it. Once the new courthouse was completed, the old wood courthouse was demolished and the court began using the present brick courthouse.

Building the new courthouse in 1907 was an intense manual labor operation. Once the foundation and the second story were completed, an elevator was installed. This elevator was run by a wood burning steam engine. This steam operated elevator was used to hoist materials to the upper levels of the structure as the building began to take shape.

The opening day for the courthouse was set for July 4, 1908, even though the building wasn't completely finished. On that day there was a heavy down pour of rain that started early and lasted for several hours. This delayed a parade that was scheduled. The parade finally started in the late afternoon. This record rainfall was known for years as the Fourth of July Rain, and was compared with big rains that followed for many years.

On the opening day a guided tour was given to groups of people all day. People were taken up to the dome where the large bell was being rung continuously.  Since 1907, the Brick Courthouse in Mt Vernon has been used daily.

The picture shown here was taken in 1908.

By the late 1980’s our courthouse was sadly in need of repairs. The structure had not had any maintenance for many years. The commissioners started a renovation project to restore the beautiful old building to its original luster. This renovation project was completed in 1994. This renovation created a functional courthouse while maintaining the historic nature of the building.

The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historical Sites in 1981.