When Fulton County was created in December 1853, Atlanta was building its first city hall on a hill overlooking the burgeoning city and officials agreed to set aside half of the building as a courthouse for the new county -- rent-free.
The joint city hall-county courthouse opened in October 1854 and served both Atlanta and Fulton County almost 30 years.
In September 1864 federal troops captured Atlanta and the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry camped on the grounds of the city hall-county courthouse. Although spared from burnin
g during its occupation by Union forces, the city hall-county courthouse suffered abuse.
In October 1865, the Fulton County grand jury recommended the county's part of the joint building be "repaired thoroughly." During Reconstruction, Atlanta was designated state capital, and from July 1868 to January 1869, the city hall-county courthouse took on a third function — Georgia’s Capitol.
Conditions became so overcrowded, however, that the nearby unfinished Kimball Opera House was converted for use as the state’s capitol.
After Georgia’s state government moved to its new home, the city hall-county courthouse continued as home for Atlanta and Fulton County governments for nearly a decade.
In 1877, in a deal to keep the state capital from returning to its pre-Civil War site in Milledgeville, Atlanta officials offered to tear down the city hall-county courthouse and build a new state capitol. When the legislature accepted the offer, Fulton County made plans for a new court facility.
In 1879, the Georgia legislature passed a law allowing Fulton to levy a tax to fund construction
of a courthouse.
Fulton County’s new courthouse was completed in 1882. The new two-story red brick structure with a prominent clock tower was located at the corner of Hunter St. [now MLK Jr. Ave.] and Pryor St. —the site of the current Fulton County Courthouse.
Construction of Fulton’s first freestanding courthouse began in 1881. Completed in 1882, the courthouse had cost Fulton taxpayers the grand sum of $100,000.
By 1907, plans were underway for a new, larger courthouse to serve the county containing the Capitol of the New South.
An act passed by the legislature allowed Fulton to issue bonds to finance a new courthouse. In 1911 the old courthouse was torn down and work began on Fulton County's third courthouse.
When completed in 1914 at a cost of $1,250,000, Fulton County had Georgia's first million-dollar courthouse. It was also the state’s largest government building, surpassing the domed Georgia state capitol in square footage.
Despite the court’s impressive size, by the 1960s Fulton County's growing population again necessitated additional space. This time the expansion was for the county's government which had been housed in the Courthouse.
A new six-story Fulton County Administration Building was built behind the Courthouse to house county agencies, officials, and the Fulton County Commission.
By the 1980s, Fulton’s county government had again outgrown its existing facility and in 1986 work began on a new Fulton County Government Center. The modern glass and concrete structure across Pryor Street from the entrance of the Fult
on Courthouse was completed in 1989.
The Fulton County Administration Building on Central Avenue was torn down in the 1990s and replaced by a nine-story Fulton Justice Tower that opened in 1993.
The joint city hall-county courthouse opened in October 1854 and served both Atlanta and Fulton County almost 30 years.
In September 1864 federal troops captured Atlanta and the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry camped on the grounds of the city hall-county courthouse. Although spared from burnin
g during its occupation by Union forces, the city hall-county courthouse suffered abuse.In October 1865, the Fulton County grand jury recommended the county's part of the joint building be "repaired thoroughly." During Reconstruction, Atlanta was designated state capital, and from July 1868 to January 1869, the city hall-county courthouse took on a third function — Georgia’s Capitol.
Conditions became so overcrowded, however, that the nearby unfinished Kimball Opera House was converted for use as the state’s capitol.
After Georgia’s state government moved to its new home, the city hall-county courthouse continued as home for Atlanta and Fulton County governments for nearly a decade.
In 1877, in a deal to keep the state capital from returning to its pre-Civil War site in Milledgeville, Atlanta officials offered to tear down the city hall-county courthouse and build a new state capitol. When the legislature accepted the offer, Fulton County made plans for a new court facility.
In 1879, the Georgia legislature passed a law allowing Fulton to levy a tax to fund construction
of a courthouse.Fulton County’s new courthouse was completed in 1882. The new two-story red brick structure with a prominent clock tower was located at the corner of Hunter St. [now MLK Jr. Ave.] and Pryor St. —the site of the current Fulton County Courthouse.
Construction of Fulton’s first freestanding courthouse began in 1881. Completed in 1882, the courthouse had cost Fulton taxpayers the grand sum of $100,000.
By 1907, plans were underway for a new, larger courthouse to serve the county containing the Capitol of the New South.
An act passed by the legislature allowed Fulton to issue bonds to finance a new courthouse. In 1911 the old courthouse was torn down and work began on Fulton County's third courthouse.
When completed in 1914 at a cost of $1,250,000, Fulton County had Georgia's first million-dollar courthouse. It was also the state’s largest government building, surpassing the domed Georgia state capitol in square footage.
Despite the court’s impressive size, by the 1960s Fulton County's growing population again necessitated additional space. This time the expansion was for the county's government which had been housed in the Courthouse.
A new six-story Fulton County Administration Building was built behind the Courthouse to house county agencies, officials, and the Fulton County Commission.
By the 1980s, Fulton’s county government had again outgrown its existing facility and in 1986 work began on a new Fulton County Government Center. The modern glass and concrete structure across Pryor Street from the entrance of the Fult
on Courthouse was completed in 1989.The Fulton County Administration Building on Central Avenue was torn down in the 1990s and replaced by a nine-story Fulton Justice Tower that opened in 1993.
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