Monastery at Large

Hall County Courthouse (1938) – Gainesville, Georgia

Written by

Monastic

in

, , ,
Daniel & Beutell. Hall County Courthouse (1938). Gainesville, Georgia.1 2 3 4 5

This stark but stately county courthouse in Gainesville, Georgia, owes its existence to the United States federal government.

Built at the height of the Great Depression, the structure is primarily in the Classical Moderne style, with some Beaux-Arts ornamentation, and was designed by Daniel & Beutell of Atlanta.

Construction began three months after an April 1936 tornado that destroyed much of the city’s business district, including the former courthouse.

Pediment on the Hall County Courthouse

The building was a quintessential New Deal project: funded by the Public Works Administration and built by workers from the similarly-named Works Progress Administration.

When the courthouse was completed in March 1938, it was dedicated in a gala ceremony attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Not shabby.

Cornice and bas-relief ornamentation on the Hall County Courthouse
Clock tower on the Hall County Courthouse

References

  1. “Gainesville Gets $40,000 RFC Loan For Civic Center”. The Atlanta Journal, June 12, 1936, p. 13. ↩︎
  2. “PWA Approves $126,000 Grant For New Hall County Courthouse”. The Atlanta Journal, July 9, 1936, p. 9. ↩︎
  3. “PWA Soon To Launch Gainesville Building”. The Atlanta Constitution, July 10, 1936, p. 10. ↩︎
  4. “More Than 50,000 To Hear Roosevelt At Gainesville Wednesday”. The Atlanta Journal, March 22, 1938, p. 1. ↩︎
  5. “Georgia Hails President Roosevelt at Mighty Celebration in New Gainesville”. The Atlanta Journal, March 23, 1938, p. 12. ↩︎

More posts