Union County Historical Society
Blairsville, Georgia
MISSION AND HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY
Union County Court House, then and now
On the National List of Historic Places
MISSION AND HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY
Mission
The Union County Historical Society was established February 11, 1976 as a non-profit organization open to all persons interested in the history and heritage of Union County, Georgia. The goals for the organization were and are:
1. Restore the old Union County Court House;
2. Establish a museum of county history;
3. Publish a history of the county;
4. Promote interest in local history in the schools;
5. Hold meetings of interest.
Union County Historical Society and the Old Union County Court House
Large Cities and small communities all over the United States were busy organizing Bicentennial Committees in 1975 and planning big celebrations for 1976. Union County was among them and formed a Bicentennial Committee and Historical Society. At the end of May 1976, this group incorporated under the name Union County Historical Society, Inc. as a non-profit corporation for the following purposes.
(A) to promote the preservation of sources of information concerning the history of Union County, Georgia, the investigation, study, collection, display, publication and dissemination of such history and to arouse in the citizens and friends of Union County an interest in it’s history.
(B) To preserve and improve buildings and locations of historical significance.
(C) To accomplish the purpose of the society by the purchase or lease of historically significant buildings or locations and the operation of business activities.
The original directors were Ben F. Carr. Herbert Dyer, Mary Smith, Edith Paris, Ronald Davenport, Jan Devereaux, Bryan Webb, C.R. Collins and Harold Nichols. Mr. C. R. Collins served as the first President of the Union County Historical Society.
It soon became evident that one of the first tasks for the society would be to mount a mammoth effort to save the old courthouse from destruction. Through the years building maintenance had been neglected. The roof had leak problems as early as the 1920s and by 1971 an inspector from the Georgia Fire Marshal’s office condemned the building. There was a strong move underway to tear the old building down to make room for a parking lot.
As a Bicentennial project the Jaycees undertook the restoration of the old tower clock and bell. The idea came about when the Jaycees became aware that the old clock works and bell were to be auctioned off by the county. They intervened, restored the works, mounted the mechanism on timbers and entered it in the Bicentennial Parade, after which it was displayed in the lobby of the old courthouse. (today, it is displayed on the grounds of the old courthouse in its own unique display house made possible by the dedication of same to the memory of Virge Kelly by Jim Williams and Robert Head Jr.)
By June 1980 the society had raised funds to begin basic stabilization. Senior citizen workers were made available to the society through a federal program and these men stripped the old paint from the wainscoting, trim, etc. and cleaned up debris. By mid 1981 the roof was repaired and new wood windows were installed. In October 1985 a rededication of the old building was held. In the months following, rooms were restored for use as rental offices and by 1987 the entire downstairs area had been renovated along with the stairwell on the south side and the old grand jury room upstairs, leaving only the courtroom and adjacent chambers unrestored.
The large room on the south side of the building was restored by the Paris Family as a museum room in honor of Paul and Edith Paris. Edith had been a tireless worker for the old building and her death followed the rededication by just one month. (The first museum room was opened in this restored section in the fall of 1988)
The First National Bank of Union County restored the Parson Room in memory of Linda Parson and held a dedication ceremony in spring of 1987. About the same time negotiations were underway with Austine Carr who restored and furnished the Grand Jury room and south stairwell in honor of her husband Ben, and in memory of her parents, Pat and Maud Haralson.
The old clerks office was restored by William and Sarah Flake to be used as an office for the Historical Society. The two rooms on the east hallway were restored by Betty Jane Shuler in honor of her parents. Her father Frank Shuler was Superintendent of schools in Union County for many years and her mother Gertrude Shuler was a Union County school teacher for 25 years. The room at the west end of the main hall was restored by the society and the old Ordinary’s Office was restored by the society with the help of friends.
All of the rooms except the Paris room were rented for a time as offices for private businesses. Rentals were discontinued one by one as the museum grew and space was needed for exhibits. In 1991 when the Morgan Miniature Collection was received, the last rental was discontinued and all restored rooms were devoted to the museum.
The courtroom and adjacent chambers remained in the long range plans. The clock Tower would need to be reconstructed and it would eventually be necessary to add an elevator for handicapped access.
Between 1976 and 1990 the Historical Society published four books relating to the history of the county. The first projects undertaken were Sketches of Union County History vols I and II and have been out of print for several years. In 1987 Sketches vol III was published in hard cover and was very popular. In 1990 Cemetery Records of Union County, Georgia was published. Dale Elliott and Charles Wimpy with the help of their wives inventoried all the cemeteries of the county, even doing research to identify some of the unmarked graves. This work has been of great value to geologists and of interest to other readers.
The Society is deeply indepted to the many volunteers who have supported the work of the society and to the many people who have contributed items for the museum. All museum exhibits are of Union County or North Georgia origin and it is one of the finest county museums to be found.
The restoration of the courtroom was completed and dedicated in 1997. It has broadened the scope of the society as it provides Friday night concerts, Tuesday night lectures, Drama plays by the Union County High School and the continued use as a courtroom by the city of Blairsville.
The restoration of the clock and bell tower (finished and dedicated in 2002) completed the original look of the building. Now considerations for the annexed Butt-Mock house and grounds will be undertaken to enlarge exhibit space and facilities.