Dodge County - American Courthouses

Dodge County is named for William Dodge, who was a New York congressman and who purchased a large amount of land in the county.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Bleckley County

E – Laurens County and Wheeler County

S – Telfair County

W – Wilcox County and Pulaski County

Created: October 26, 1870

County Seat:

Eastman 1870 – present

County Courthouse – Eastman

Location: 5018 Courthouse Circle / Foster Street

Built: 1906 – 1908

Style: Neo-Classical Revival

Architect: Edward Columbus Hosford of Atlanta

Contractor: M T Lewman & Company of Louisville, Kentucky

Description: The building faces southeast and is a two story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Eastman. The main south entrance is Doric tetrastyle with full entablature and pediment. Windows are rectangular on the first story and round arched on the second story. They alternate with colossal pilasters all the way around the building. On the second story is a small balcony with large arched window. A wide horizontal; band runs along the flat roof line. The clock tower which rose from the center of the structure has been removed. In the interior the County Superior Court courtroom has the interesting architectural feature of arcades that separate the windows from the litigation and spectator sections. Some modernization of the interior has occurred. The building houses the County Superior Court, County Juvenile Court and County Probate Court of the 8th Judicial District. The County Magistrate Court is located on the southeast side in a one story building.

See: The architect, Edward Columbus Hosford & Company of Atlanta designed courthouses in Harris County and Wheeler County and in Florida in Baker County, Glades County, Hendry County, Jefferson County, Lafayette County, Pasco County and Polk County.

See: The architect, Edward Columbus Hosford of Atlanta, Georgia..

See: The contractor M T Lewman and Company of Louisville, Kentucky.

County Courthouse Annex – Eastman

Location: 643 Pearl Bates Avenue / Hawkinsville Highway

Built: Unknown

Style: Modern

Architect: Unknown

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces west and is a one story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds on the west side of Eastman. The west front has a one story portico and center section extending from the main building. The roof is hipped. In the interior is a large County Superior Court courtroom and a small courtroom. The building houses the County Superior Court, County Juvenile Court and County Probate Court of the 8th Judicial District. The building was originally an ATT&T call center and is now the Pear Bates Courthouse Annex..

See: The 8th Judicial District includes Baldwin County, Ben Hill County, Bleckley County, Candler County, Crisp County, Dooly County, Emanuel County, Greene County, Hancock County, Jasper County, Jefferson County, Johnson County, Jones County, Laurens County, Montgomery County, Morgan County, Pulaski County, Putnam County, Telfair County, Toombs County, Treutlen County, Twiggs County, Washington County, Wheeler County, Wilcox County and Wilkinson County

History: The county was created in 1870 and Eastman was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story frame structure built by William Dodge at his expense in 1870. The building was torn down. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1906 to 1908.