1869 Bartow County Courthouse/Bartow History Museum

Project Overview

Located in the “Under the Bridge” district of historic Downtown Cartersville, the stately courthouse was erected in 1869 during the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War with loans from local citizens. Serving as the courthouse and county offices until 1903, the building had almost a 100-year run in the private sector with uses that ranged from a feed & seed store, a roller rink to furniture stores. Vacant for almost twenty-years, the building demolition as the west side of the masonry building was rapidly failing. The City of Cartersville approach Pennant Construction Management, Inc. with the task of taking on the project in a last-ditch effort to preserve one of the few remaining Italianate courthouses to exist in the South. A new concrete foundation was installed under the building as well as a full masonry repointing was completed to provide a structurally sound shell for the project. Components of the original interior staircases long removed and lost along with the original slate roofing material were found buried under the interior of the building which provide missing details on how to re-establish the original look. The grand staircases were re-installed, heart pine floor repair and refinished, and interior areas sectioned off to allow for museum use. The mechanical systems were overhauled to include new electrical, plumbing, HVAC and fire suppression systems. ADA compliance was achieved with the installation of exterior ramp and access doors, restrooms and a new elevator allowing patrons access to both levels of the building. The final details were delivered to provide a facility capable of housing the Bartow History Center, a subsidiary of Georgia Museums, Inc. The 2010 Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation “Excellence in Preservation” Award would be the third for Pennant Construction Management, Inc.