HISTORIC STRUCTURE REPORT

madison county courthouse

DANIELSVILLE, GA

After years of vacancy, the Madison County government commissioned the creation of a Historic Structure Report (HSR) to aid the county's plans to reuse the building and ensure its preservation. Designed by notable courthouse architect J.W. Golucke and built in 1901, the building is architecturally significant as the grandest historic structure in Danielsville, where it sits at the center of town at the crossroads of two main thoroughfares.

Operating as a courthouse for decades, the building was operational until the 1990s. The building was the backdrop of several significant cases involving racially motivated incidents including the trial of three members of the Klu Klux Klan who murdered African American Lt. Col. Lemuel Penn. Although found not guilty, the men were later tried in the Supreme Court for conspiracy, for which they were found guilty. The case is believed to be the first to invoke the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ultimately expanded the provisions of the 14th Amendment.

The Historic Structure Report provides a concise history, comprehensive conditions assessment to include architectural, ADA, building code, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and site specific recommendations in accordance with preservation best practice, in addition to cost estimates and grant recommendations.

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Collaborators include Architectural Collaborative, Ensembled MEP, Sheats Structural Consulting, and CAD Scans. The report is accessible online here.