Historical Information:
James Rodaken was awarded the contract to build the first courthouse in 1856. It was to be built in the exact center of the public square in Buchanan at cost of $5,000.00. It was a wooden structure and was damaged by fire in 1888. Attempts to repair it were unsuccessful. The decision to build a new courthouse was made in January of 1891.
The Haralson County Superior Court named a Building Committee and recommended that the Old Courthouse be sold to the highest bidder. They also recommended that the New Courthouse be built where the old one stood, the center of the public square in Buchanan. The Building Committee was composed of S L Hilton, W A McCalman, R E Loveless, Lloyd Thomas and A L Morgan. S M Davenport was Ordinary.
On May 12, 1891 the contract for building the Courthouse was let to G W Goulding of Cleburne County, Alabama. The contract price was $19,000.00. The contractor worked until he ran out of money. Judge S M Davenport wrote a warrant to the contractor for $1,000.00 so that the building could be completed. Judge Davenport was defeated at the next election.
The courthouse is a handsome Queen Anne structure designed by the architectural firm Bruce and Morgan. It is one of only a few such structures still standing in Georgia.
The Courthouse was used until 1972 when the New Courthouse was built. It had served the county well for 80 years and still continues to serve as it is used by many of the local citizens. Now the building serves as the Library for BUchanan GA
One interesting tidbit: Rep. Tom Murphy was one of the lawyers in the last case tried in the Old Courthouse and Judge Arthur Fudger presided. Rep. Murphy was also one of the lawyers in the first trial in the New Courthouse.