Montgomery County Georgia Web Portal

This image is of the Courtroom just after restoration in 1993

Before the great depression, before the roaring twenties, before world war one, even before the sinking of the Titanic, the Montgomery County Courthouse stood in Mt Vernon Georgia. The Montgomery County Courthouse is on the Registry of Historic Buildings. It was built in 1907, opened for business in 1909. Some building maintenance was done to the structure in the late 1940s.  The courthouse was completely restored to its original luster in the early 1990s.

The Montgomery County Courthouse is one of the few remaining courthouses still in existence today that is complete in every historical feature. This magnificent building is a must see for any tour through South Georgia. Only 100 miles west of historic Savannah Georgia, our courthouse is one of the few courthouses in the region that still looks as it did when it was first built in 1907.

In addition to the massive hallway, and the stately appearance of the building, the courtroom is the building's most impressive feature. The courtroom floor has been preserved, along with the balcony, and the four fireplaces, back to the way it was when it was originally built. The only addition to the courtroom is central heat and air. Even the lumber used in the restoration is original. Lumber was salvaged from all parts of the building's structure, and reused as much as possible throughout the rebuild process.  The pine wood floor in the courtroom was repaired with existing flooring.  Lumber salvaged from other parts of the building was also used as much as possible. These repairs brought the courtroom back to like new condition while restoring its original look.

The courthouse clock was reworked and made to keep very accurate time during the courthouse renovation.  Each of the four faces of the clock measure ten feet across. The clock was built by the E. Howard Company of Mass in 1907. It was originally entirely mechanical, using huge weights and a pendulum to keep time. It was converted to an electric clock motor arrangement with a small weight and mechanical pendulum for use during power outages, at the time of the courthouse renovation. The clock will keep correct time when the power goes off for up to twelve hours by use of this mechanical arrangement. The large clock bell chimes out on the hour.

The tile designs in the hallway floor match the tile designs in the entrance walkways.

The courthouse restoration project was complete in every detail including the short brick wall surrounding the courthouse lot. This short brick wall was erected the same time the courthouse was built in 1907. At one time a rail ran between the pillars of the wall to make a hitching post for horses. This wall was completely restored, minus the rails.

Several of the offices have Roll top desks. There is an old Roll top desk that sits in the downstairs hallway of the courthouse. This Roll top desk is believed to have been placed in the courthouse when it was originally built. It was used in an office up into the 1990s. Sister Roll top desks from the same time period are still being used today in some of the other offices. Other vintage items in the hallway are from the same turn-of-the-century time period.