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Centerville, Leon Co. Courthouse Centerville had a suitable square with surrounding lots for housing, a church and businesses. The courthouse was the center point of government transactions and the gathering of people for official and recreational purposes. The first courthouse was a 40' x 40' frame two-story building. In 1857-58 a brick building was built on the same plan as the frame courthouse. In 1885 another brick courthouse (our current one) was built after the first brick one burned. It took until 1887 to get the courthouse completed. A. L. Noyes was the architect and the construction was given to P. G. Gillen from Mississippi and was built by native southerners of Irish, Scottish and English decent. Handmade bricks were used throughout the building, many being used from the first brick courthouse. The courthouse was used for many occasions including recreational purposes. The most historic event was the Leon Hunters of the Confederacy being organized. On July 17, 1864, eighty-six soldiers marched off to Richmond, VA, proud to serve their county and country. This grand courthouse was dedicated as the corner stone foundation of our Leon County and still is today. It stands as a monument to our pioneers who shaped our county into productive, decent, respectable citizens who love God, their families and their country. This treasured old courthouse will soon be restored to its former state and will be used as a fully functioning courthouse. Many thanks go to Frances Jane Leathers, Wilmon Jones, and Graham Luhn for their information on the preserved historical facts, to Richard King, president of the LCHS (Leon County Historical Society) and to all the previous members up to the present ones, for their dedicated service. Thanks also to the early members of the Leon County Genealogical Society and the present ones, Earl Hill Moore, President; Richard King, Vice President; Margie Bridges, Dispatch Chairman; Kay Clopton, Secretary; James O. Hill and Eddie Parker, Public Relations; Betty Moore, Treasurer & Membership, Emma Bass, Fae Boutette, Richard King, Directors; Amy Kelton, Librarian, Etta Hearron and Jill Gresham, Chairpersons; Judge Byron Ryder, and Commissioners David Ferguson, Ray Gaskin, Joey Sullivan, and Frank Gonzales. The restoration of our courthouse is a historical heritage for our future generations. The LCGS and LCHS are busy at many more exciting programs to submit family, county and community history into what they already have. They are making preparations of publishing the Volume II and publishing reprints of Volume I. Thanks to Judge Byron Ryder and the commissioners, the LCGS will have a more suitable building to do all this in. It will be located on Hwy 7 between Guaranty Title and the Ward Memorial Library. An Open House was held October 13th at 4 p.m. They are asking that everyone become involved in getting each family history to them, to make it a better historical place to find out about their heritage. Volunteers take a vital role in doing the various tasks in collecting stories, photos, documents, and selecting a publisher for this book. There are many Leon County families and communities that were omitted in our first volume of Leon County. The LCGS and LCHS are having meetings all the time to discuss specific requirements and responsibilities needed for this project. They would love to have volunteers help them in collecting information on Leon County families that are here or were here and moved elsewhere. |