Comments on: Who Knew? DeKalb Courthouse Once Had a Pond/Fountain Out Front

By: Mimi

Mimi — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:00:48 +0000

There is still a very small non-functioning “fountain” pool towards the parking meter end of the courthouse flower bed. It is always full of nasty black water and I’m sure the mosquitoes absolutely love it in the summer.

By: Walt Drake

Walt Drake — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 18:56:16 +0000

I wonder if the line was to get license tags? There used to be long lines for that right before the deadline.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:55:33 +0000

Thanks for the great stories guys! The only thing that would make it better would be for a prisoner to write in and say “Hey, I remember you!”

By: Another Rick

Another Rick — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:41:40 +0000

It is sure ugly. I would like to see photos of that block and the west Court Square area before they ruined the square with “urban renewal” efforts.

By: Keith F

Keith F — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:20:45 +0000

Hmmm…that building was just as unattractive when it was new as it is today.

By: Another Rick

Another Rick — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:09:30 +0000

Thank you Chris and Udog for your memories. I actually worked in the new Courthouse in the late 70’s and early 80’s and the pool was working at that time. But, the immediate environs were so impersonal. The landscaping there now (at least a few years ago when it looked better) seems an improvement. I would agree with Udogg and Scott on tearing down that building and returning to the old things! Isn’t dreaming fun!

By: Chris Billingsley

Chris Billingsley — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 14:00:59 +0000

That’s an orderly line. What were those people doing, registering to vote, arriving for jury duty, or taking a tour of the new courthouse? Could you imagine such an orderly line today?
The picture shows a good contrast between old and new Decatur. To me, there was nothing interesting about the new courthouse but the Trinity building, now that was something else! As a young boy, I would walk up to the third floor jail and ask a secretary if any of the prisoners wanted to buy the Atlanta Times, a newspaper that competed against the Journal and Constitution papers. Sometimes the Deputy Sheriff (?) would say no but most of the time, I was allowed to enter the cellblock to sell papers. A huge metal door separated the office lobby with the cellblock, which was L-shaped. Usually I stayed at the metal door, just inside the cellblock but on several occasions, the trustee allowed me to walk the hallways with him as the prisoners bought papers. This was quite an adventure for a young boy. After making a couple of bucks, I headed to the drugstore on the corner square for Limeade, maybe the greatest liquid concoction ever created. I also remember seeing families, young mothers and kids, standing on the Trinity sidewalk talking to prisoners. In the picture, you can see at least one window on the Trinity side open. An earlier post mentions the interaction between the public on the sidewalk and the prisoners. I believe the reflecting pool survived until the 80s. I think there was a small plaque that stated that any money thrown into the pool would be donated to the Scottish Rite hospital. I remember a lot of trash in the pool.
Such were the experiences for a twelve-year-old boy in small town Decatur in the early 60s. Hard to imagine today.