Rockdale County - American Courthouses

Rockdale County is named for the Rockdale Church, which was named for the large amount of exposed and sub-surface granite and related rock found in the area.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Gwinnett County and Walton County

E – Newton County

S – Henry County

W – DeKalb County

Created: October 18, 1870

County Seat:

Conyers 1870 – present

County Courthouse – Conyers

Location: 922 Court Street / North Main Street

Built: 1973 – 1974

Style: Modern

Architect: John H Cunningham & Associates

Contractor: CCC Builders, Inc.

Description: The building faces southeast and is a three story red-orange colored brick and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located in the center of Conyers. The center sections on the southeast and northwest sides project slightly from the main building and have on each side, porticos with four columns rising to a pediment at the third story. A cornice runs below the flat roof line and there are narrow horizontal bands between the stories. The building is connected on the southwest side to the old courthouse. In the interior the hallways run northeast-southwest. There is a County Superior Court courtroom on the second story and two more courtrooms for the County State Court and County Juvenile Court. The building houses the County Superior Court, County State Court and County Juvenile Court of the 4th Judicial District.

Old County Courthouse – Conyers

Location: NW – North Main Street / Court Street

Built: 1938 – 1939

Style: Colonial Revival

Architect: William J J Chase

Contractor: Donald McIver Company

Description: The building faces southwest and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Conyers. The southwest front has a framed central entrance on the second story with the first story exposed on the northeast side of the building. On the center of the roof is a square white colored cupola. The hipped roof is green color. Additions have been added on the east and west sides. The building is connected to the new courthouse on the northeast side. The building has a County Superior Court courtroom on the second story. The building was renovated in 1993. The architect was Homer Lewis & Associates Inc. On the southwest side is a one story section joining the old courthouse to the courthouse annex. The entrance is recessed with a semi-circular wind above the glass entrance. In the interior is a skylight. At the west end is the courthouse annex which is another one story red colored brick building constructed in 1937 as a Post Office. The architects wase Louis A Simon and Neal A Melick. Across North Main Street is the two story stone County Magistrate and Probate Courts Building at 874 North Main Street designed and built by Addison Riley in 1872. To the north is the Old County Jail built in 1897.

See: The architect, William J J Chase also designed courthouses in Carroll County, Coffee County, Cook County, Mitchell County, Oconee County, Polk County, Seminole County, Troup County and Ware County.

See: The 4th Judicial District includes DeKalb County.

History: The county was created in 1870 and Conyers was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story brick Georgian style structure built by the three commissioners in Conyers in 1871 to 1872 at a cost of $500. The second courthouse was constructed in 1938 to 1939 and is still standing. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1973 to 1974.

Old County Jail – Conyers

Location: 967 Milstead Avenue

Built: 1897

Style: Jail

Architect: J W Golucke

Contractor: F P Heifer

Description: The building faces northwest and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located in the center of Conyers to the north of the courthouse. On the northwest front is a one story wood porch and on the southeast side is a one story long wood porch. The roof is hipped.

See: The architect, James Wingfield Golucke of Atlanta designed many courthouses and jails in Georgia.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Old Rockdale County Jail