Compiled and contributed JAN 2005, by Sherry S. Johnston, conecuh_hs@hotmail.com
The following is reprinted from the 1957 Evergreen Courant:
"
Conecuh Has History of Five Court Houses Beginning with Log Cabin at Hampden
Ridge"
"
The present Courthouse building is the fifth court house in Conecuh, with the
history of Conecuh courthouses dating back to before Alabama became a state
in 1819.
The first "court house" was at Hampden Ridge, and was built and used
shortly after the War of 1812. The log house could hardly be called a court
house as is known today, since Conecuh was not a county, and it was generally
used for a court room only.
After Alabama became a state, the "court house" was moved to Old
Sparta, where a special structure was built. It was at this court house that
the first Conecuh company of volunteers was organized for the Confederate Army,
in April of 1861. This company served with distinction throughout the Civil
War, and was among those which surrendered at Appomatox in April of 1865.
Shortly after the Civil War, the courthouse at Old Sparta burned down, destroying
all records. It was rumored at the time that the fire was deliberately set
by a party or parties to destroy records which would have been damaging to
them.
After the fire, which is variously said to have been in 1866, to 1868, the
county seat was moved to Evergreen, and Old Sparta gradually waned away. The
court house erected here then burned a few years later, and an imposing red
brick structure took its' place. The red brick court house was condemned about
1899, and the present building finished in the summer of 1901. Other accounts
place the completion as late as 1906, but it is believed that the summer of
1901 is the most accurate.
The destruction of Conecuh's court houses by fire have made it virtually impossible
to trace land transactions, since the records were also destroyed."
*Please note that since this article was published in 1957, some land records
and other transactions, though difficult to obtain, can now be found, along
with newspapers on microfilm from 1879 forward. These records are on file at
the Evergreen Public Library in Evergreen, and The Dept. of Archives and History
in Montgomery, AL
The present day courthouse in Evergreen is still controversial, as repairs
have yet to be made, and its' future is still in the fate of others. Many of
the offices have been removed to the old Southwest Alabama Agricultural School
(formerly Evergreen High School & more recently, the Evergreen Junior High
School) on North Main Street in what was once known as Old Evergreen.
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