45 SW Broad St
Fairburn, GA 30213, USA

National Register of Historic Places - Campbell County Courthouse (Old Campbell County Courthouse)

Statement of Significant:

The Old Campbell County Courthouse has been a landmark in the center of Fairburn, Georgia for 103 years. For 61 of those years, it was the active county seat building of Georgia's 74th county, a typical rural Georgia county. This period was from 1871 to 1932 when Campbell County merged into Fulton County. For its entire existence, it has been an important community center and still remains as such. Its preservation as a symbol of a vanished Georgia County and as a repository for its records and relics will insure a continued respect for this important landmark.

A Georgia Historical Marker placed on the courthouse grounds in 1955 states: "This was the Courthouse of Campbell County at the time it merged with Fulton County January 1, 1932. When the county was created by Acts of the Legislature December 20 and 22, 1828, the site was at Campbellton on the Chattahoochee but it was moved to Fairburn in 1870. The county was named for Col. Duncan G. Campbell, one of the signers of the treaty made at Indian Springs in 1825 by which the Creeks ceded most of the land that later made-up Campbell County." The county at first extended west of the Chattahoochee River taking in most of what is now Douglas County. A courthouse was erected at Campbellton in 1835. The building of a railroad (Atlanta and West Point) on the eastern edge of Campbell County created sentiment for the removal of the county seat. The legislature created Douglas County out of Campbell's area west of the river and gave Campbell some Fayette County land. Fairburn was chosen by popular vote and a courthouse was built here in 1871.
One of a very few county mergers ever effected in the United States was made in Georgia in 1931. Campbell County's merger (along with Milton County) was approved by the state legislature and by popular vote in that year. Campbell County ceased to exist on January 1, 1932. Its courthouse became the property of Fulton County and appeared to be slated for early demolition. It fell into a state of disrepair for several years. In 1936, community leaders of Fairburn led a fight to preserve it and secured a $5,000 Federal Grant for its renovation as a community center. A community library and a recreation center were set up in the building. Such usage continued until 1970.

In late years, the courthouse has continued to serve as a meeting place for various organizations. Fulton County maintains Agricultural Extension offices here and has assumed full responsibility for its upkeep. The Old Campbell County Historical Society was organized here in 1971 and has taken on the chief effort for continued preservation of the land- mark building. A Centennial was observed for it in 1971 and the Society began the custom of holding annual Campbell County Homecoming Days here. The Society has started a collection for a museum.

Architecturally, the courthouse is significant as one of the late vestiges of the mid- 19th century high classical style in Georgia, being constructed only six years after the Civil War. In Georgia during this period there was relatively little construction and what there was related more to the eclectic style than to the purely classical forms exhibited in the Old Campbell County Courthouse.

Campbell County Courthouse at Fairburn, 45 East Broad St Fairburn, Fulton County, GA

HABS GA-187