Cobb County Courthouse, 1889

After being burned by Union troops in 1864, the 1853 Cobb County Courthouse stood in ruins on the Marietta Square for eight years. The charred columns were a constant reminder of Sherman’s March to the Sea. By the 1870s, the time had come for the ruins to be taken down and a new courthouse to be constructed. Architect William Hunt designed a Greek Revival courthouse with oversized doors and windows, a clock tower, and a portico with four Corinthian columns. The new courthouse was completed in 1873.

This courthouse served Cobb County until 1899 when it was extensively remodeled in the Romanesque style. The remodeled courthouse was demolished in 1969. The loss of the old Cobb County Courthouse was one of the factors that led to the formation of Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society in the 1970s.