Old Dade County courthouse getting a new lease on life

The Dade County Courthouse on the busy town square in downtown Trenton, Ga., is undergoing renovations to house new tenants as early as spring of next year. The building constructed in 1926 is the county's second courthouse. The Dade County Courthouse on the busy town square in downtown Trenton, Ga., is undergoing renovations to house new tenants as early as spring of next year. The building constructed in 1926 is the county's second courthouse.

By Ben Benton November 23, 2015 5 min read

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Old Dade County Courthouse takes on new life

The main courtroom at the old Dade County Courthouse in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, almost seems as if the gallery just emptied and people could return any minute.

The main courtroom at the old Dade County Courthouse in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, appears much as it did when it was closed a few years ago. The 1926-era building could have new tenants by spring as renovations continue to update parts of the building.

Court and planning commission records are stacked in some of the second floor rooms in the 1926-era Dade County Courthouse in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. The building is targeted for renovations to shore up the building and to house new tenants by next spring.

A monument for a time capsule to be opened in 2076 stands on the west side of the old Dade County Courthouse in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. It was sealed in 1976 and has sustained some damage over the years.

A modern fan hangs from the original pressed metal ceiling in the main courtroom at the old Dade County Courthouse in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. The courthouse was built by a Dalton, Ga., contractor in 1926.

Some of the interior walls have water damage from leaks in the roof and walls at the 1926-era Dade County Courthouse in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. The building is targeted for renovations.

A crew from Ellijay, Ga.-based Blue Moose Elevator Co., works to install an elevator in the old Dade County Courthouse in Trenton, Ga., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. Here, Cameron LaMarche assembles parts for the elevator as he stands on a work platform in the newly-constructed shaft.

This signpost along Piney Road east of Trenton, Ga., in Dade County on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015, shows you can get there from here. Even Alaska makes the cut for whoever erected the sign.

TRENTON, Ga. – The courtroom at the old Dade County Courthouse seems to beg for the rap of a gavel, a rumble from the gallery, creaks from the jurors’ seats as they weigh justice for the accused.

The courtroom has been empty for a few years now, just like the rest of the two-story brick and concrete structure standing vigil virtually unchanged in the town square of Trenton, Ga., since 1926.

Now, crews are installing a modern elevator so people who can’t use the stairs can reach all floors as renovations ready the nearly 90-year-old structure for new tenants.

Dade County Executive Ted Rumley said the Dade County Historical Society, a local surveyor and possibly the Dade County Chamber of Commerce and a couple of attorneys could take up residence there by spring, giving the building a new lease on life as it looks toward its second century.

Fast facts

› 1926: Original construction› George Szymanski, Attalla, Ala.: Original architect› Barrett Constructions Co., Dalton, Ga.: Original contractor› 7,630: Square feet› 1983: Partial renovation and installation of central heat and airSource: Preservation Plan, Historic Dade County Courthouse, OJP/Architect Inc., Atlanta, Ga.