Camden County - American Courthouses

Camden County is named for the Earl of Camden, who was a supporter of the American colonies prior to the American Revolution

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Brantley County and Glynn County

E – Atlantic Ocean

S – Nassau County, Florida

W – Charlton County

Created: February 5, 1777

County Seat:

St. Patrick’s 1787 – 1792

St. Marys 1792 – 1800

Jeffersonton 1800 – 1869

St. Marys 1869 – 1923

Woodbine 1923 – present

Old County Courthouse – Woodbine

Location: 109 Courthouse Circle / East 4th Street

Built: 1928 – 1929

Style: Twentieth Century Gothic Revival

Architect: J deBruyn Kops

Contractor: McCowan & Ramsay

Description: The building faces west and is a two story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Woodbine. The west front has a projecting enclosed porch at the entrance. Behind, the wall rises to a level roof line with the main part of the building rising to a peak behind that. There are wings on the north and south sides. In the interior, the former courtroom occupies most of the second story. On the eastside is the Courthouse Addition constructed in 2007 to 2008. The building is rectangular in shape. In the interior, the Commissioners Meeting Room is located on the second story. The architect was James A Buckley & Associated and the contractor was McDonald Construction Company.

Note: The building is the only Gothic style courthouse in Georgia.

County Courthouse – Woodbine

Location: 200 East 4th Street / Courthouse Circle

Built: 2003 – 2004

Style: Modern Colonial Revival

Architect: James W Buckley & Associates Inc. of Swainsboro

Contractor: Bob Mathews Construction Company of Jacksonville, Florida

Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds to the north of the old courthouse in the center of Woodbine. The south front has a large portico supported by four columns rising to a wide pediment. Behind are large arched glass windows rising to the top of the second story. The east and west wings have large arches along the first story. In the interior, there is a long hall along the front with the three County Superior Court courtrooms along the north side of the second story. The building houses the County Superior Court, County Juvenile Court, County Probate Court and County Magistrate Court of the 1st Judicial District.

See: The 1st Judicial District includes Appling County, Bacon County, Brantley County, Bulloch County, Bryan County, Charlton County, Chatham County, Coffee County, Effingham County, Evans County, Glynn County, Jeff Davis County, Jenkins County, Liberty County, Long County, McIntosh County, Pierce County, Screven County, Tattnall County, Ware County and Wayne County.

Note: The first state constitution in 1777 created eight counties: Burke County, Camden County, Chatham County, Effingham County, Glynn County, Liberty County, Richmond County and Wilkes County. These were carved out of the coastal areas that were settled when Georgia was a British colony.

History: The county was created in 1777 and St Patrick’s was selected as the county seat. In 1792, the county seat was moved to St Marys and in 1800 moved to Jeffersonton. The first courthouse was a two story frame structure built in Jeffersonton in 1802. The county seat was moved back to St Marys in 1869. The second courthouse was built in 1871. The old courthouse burned in 1965. In 1923, the county seat was moved to Woodbine. The third courthouse was constructed in 1928. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 2003 to 2004. An addition was constructed behind the third courthouse in 2007 to 2008.