Community Corner

Author Talks Historical Significance

Bartow County's gold-domed 1903 Courthouse is included in the book written by Stan Thomason, who recently gave a local lecture.

Stan Thomason, engineer, author and historian recently informed and entertained lecture attendees in a program entitled "Georgia Courthouses, a Pictorial Tour of the State," which is also the title of his book, according to a release by the . 

The focus of the lecture was historical significance — explaining the emergence of Georgia counties in the early days of the colonies, the French and English etymology of the word “county” and the architectural styles of Georgia county courthouses.  The speaker elicited audience participation, questioning them on important and interesting historical facts pertaining to Georgia and Bartow County. There was an enthusiastic response, including that from sixth-grade teacher Brooke Harris, who teaches all of the 159 counties in Georgia to her students.

The 1903 gold-domed Courthouse in Cartersville is pictured in Thomason’s book.

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"It was suggested to him that he revise the book to include Cartersville’s 1869 Courthouse as well, the only surviving Italianate courthouse in Georgia. Architecture being one of mankind’s finest forms of artistic expression, and courthouses, representing outstanding examples of enduring architecture, Cartersville is fortunate to have two historic courthouses that have been preserved," the release said. "The 1903 Courthouse in Cartersville has Greek revival elements but was designed during the period in which those elements were given a Beaux-Arts interpretation.  It is classified as Beaux-Arts style."

The architect of Bartow County’s 1903 gold-domed Courthouse, James Wingfield Golucke, self taught and from Georgia, was associated with the Louisville, KY-based firm Kenneth McDonald and Co.

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Golucke also designed Bartow’s sister courthouse located in Greenville, Muhlenberg County, KY. The Kentucky courthouse was completed in 1907 and differs from Bartow County’s gold-domed version only by having a white dome. It is currently being refurbished with plans to invite Cartersville dignitaries for the ribbon cutting when complete. Extensive exterior work done on the Bartow County sister was completed last year.

Thomason’s book is unique in that it fills the need to have a compilation of Georgia’s courthouses pictured in one source and also because Thomason prints and assembles each copy of the book himself.  

“By self publishing, I mean that all stages of writing, editing, printing and book construction, including binding, sewing and covering were done by me,” he said in the release. 

That gives new meaning to self-publishing, which is usually done by a book company at the author’s expense. Both the and the Etowah Valley Historical Society bought a copy of the book, which are available for public view. 

The EVHS library and office are located in the gold-domed courthouse and are open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and the first and third Saturday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The phone number is 770-606-8862.

This program was held at the Cartersville Public Library and was co-sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Etowah Valley Historical Society.      

 


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