Super friendly and nice people here. Very fast and helpful, they were also very sweet to my…read morechildren who loved to talk to everyone.

It is a very nice building. Only issue I had was in the interview room there was profanity words…read moreetched in the table.

Buncombe County was formed in 1791 and named for Edward Buncombe, a Revolutionary War officer…read more Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina, the county quickly became a cultural and political center, with Asheville as its seat and growing rapidly in the 1800s thanks to railroads, tourism, and the region's reputation for restorative mountain air. The Buncombe County Courthouse, completed in 1928, stands as a towering example of Beaux-Arts architecture with subtle Art Deco touches. Designed by Douglas Ellington (who is also responsible for the neighboring Asheville City Hall), the courthouse rises seventeen stories, making it the tallest county courthouse in North Carolina. Its limestone façade, classical ornamentation, and richly appointed interior ‐ with marble floors, coffered ceilings, and bronze fixtures ‐ reflect the civic optimism of Asheville's boom years, just before the Great Depression slowed further development. Beside the courthouse stands a three-tiered empty plinth. From 1905 until its removal in 2021, it held a monument to Confederate soldiers, taken down following a vote by county commissioners. The vacant pedestal now serves as a quiet marker of the region's evolving public memory. Asheville is a city of smart parking meters and parking decks. You won't find free parking here. [Review 1234 of 2025 - 4419 in North Carolina - 24786 overall]

So....I got pulled over by the police for what they said was excessive speed....but they didn't…read morehave a Radar in their car, so it was his word against mine....what he did have was me and a car with an expired tag........hey....he had to get me on something if he couldn't nail me for speeding *grin* Having dodged the speeding ticket I still had to get my car inspected and off to the court house to get my ticket dismissed. Now.....mind you...I grew up in this town and have visited this place only a few times in my life (and NO I wasn't locked up here*wink*), but back in the day...you could come in and walk around anywhere....thanks to the idiots overseas, that world of being open has changed completely. You have to enter on the side of the building and pass through metal detectors? If you have a bag it is searched.....ugh! Then as you make your way up to the main foyer you can see what excellent old school architecture and craftsmanship is all about....... 1 more floor up and there is a "assembly line-esk" set up for VERY young attorney like folks that take your ticket.....see you've solved the problem....and send you on your way. And in 2 shakes of a lambs tail I was back out the building.

98 steps. Not 100. I don't know why they missed this opportunity for a round number but I counted…read morethem going up and coming back down, getting the same. 98 steps. However, you can drive to the top where there is parking. If you do that, you'll miss the Jackson County Confederate Memorial that is midway on the stairs. The Historical Jackson County Courthouse is a 1913 Classical Revival structure that towers on a hill above and at the end of Sylva's main street. It has served here until 1994 when the new Justice Center opened a couple of miles away. It sat unused for several years until it was refreshed and restored, reopening in 2011 as the Jackson County Public Library complex that includes the Jackson County Historical Association, the Genealogical Society, and the Arts Council. Two stories and constructed of painted brick, it has a monumental portico at the front with large classical columns and is topped with a three-stage cupola above the central block. If you've been to Marshall NC, it does look a lot like the Madison County Courthouse. [Review 531 of 2026 - 4626 in North Carolina - 25713 overall]

All those stairs!!!! They just call to be climbed!! It's a 55 ft elevation gain…read more It's very pretty from the bottom and from the top of the stairs. Take a moment to notice the Mountain View's. It's just lovely. Don't want to climb those stairs? Don't worry you can get to the Library and Courthouse by car.

This historic courthouse is one of six sites in all of Cherokee County listed on the National…read moreHistoric Register. (I think for a county with about 212,000 people having 6 NHR site is quite impressive) The other five includes: Alfred W. R House Crescent Farm: Edgewater Hall and the Rock Barn https://www.yelp.com/biz/rock-barn-canton?hrid=VQhh7jBjba90EElGVh-FVw&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct) Canton WholeSale Company Canton Cotton Mill #2 Woodstock Depot According to The Cherokee County Historical Society's website...this is a five story classical revival built by prominent architect A. Ten Eyck Brown who also built The Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, GA. It's one of few surviving buildings in Georgia that was built using marble from the area. (I believe the marble is from Tate, Ga) If you look up you can see four eagles above the column thingies and they were sculpted by two local sculptures David A.H. Couche and B. Maloni. It's an impressive structure with it's gleaming white marble and it's formidable presence. I almost expect a bunch of men walking out of in white robes speaking Latin....it looks like it belongs in Athens, Greece... It's located in downtown historic Canton not far from the Historic Canton Cannon Park. Next to the courthouse is the Cherokee Justice Center as well as the superior court. It now houses the Cherokee County History museum and visitor center. It a pretty cool building to check out for a photo opt. If you're ever in the area.

The Greenville County Courthouse took two years to construct and was completed in 1918 and is in…read morethe Beaux-Arts style, a brick and concrete building with terra cotta trim. It was designed by P. Thornton Mayre who is known for the Atlanta Terminal Station (1905), St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Atlanta (1906), Birmingham Terminal Station (1909), the Randolph-Lucas House in Atlanta (1924) and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (1929) as well as the Aladdin Theater in Cocoa Florida (1924). This building served as the primary court for the county and was the setting for the infamous Willie Earle trial, which gained international attention when 31 white men were acquitted for the murder of a black taxi driver. There is some limited street parking in front and a larger lot in the back. [Review 204 of 2025 - 1259 in South Carolina - 23768 overall]

A previous reviewer notes that the current courthouse was building was completed in 1918. I want to…read moreadd a correction since this not accurate. The current courthouse was built between 1949 and 1950 and was renovated in 1997 with the addition of a new judicial wing. The previous courthouse was completed in 1918. It was used until 1991 for the Family Court (the SC Family Court wasn't established until 1976). The Family Court later moved into an old movie theatre on University Ridge. In 2021 the Family Court was moved to a facilty on Halton Road.

This is a beautiful brand new building. No need to go there unless you have a reason. There are…read morefour to five courtrooms upstairs along with the district attorney and the solicitor general. There's also a law library upstairs. You can also apply for and get a concealed weapons permit (same day), and research real estate records at this location.

In February of 2017 I hosted a Yelp hiking event to Panther Creek Falls and nearby Toccoa Falls…read more After the hike we stopped @ Shirley's Soul Food in Historic Downtown Toccoa, Georgia for a bite to eat. Ms. Shirley is a wonderful soul dripping with love for her community and customers. It was a later Saturday afternoon after restaurant hours, but thankfully I called her a few weeks prior and she agreed to keep the lights on until we arrived. During our dinner, Ms. Shirley sat with us and talked a little about her mission to help others and a little about the town. It was during that conversation I first discovered legendary singer James Brown started his music career right here in Toccoa, Georgia. That tidbit of information has stuck with me for several years and this year (2022) I decided I would highlight Toccoa in my Black History Review Series. I honestly thought it would be an easy research topic, but it was very difficult to find information about his time here in Toccoa. The city website and visitor video doesn't mention it. No brochure about the town mentioned it and even after touring the History Museum @ the old train station, I only found two pictures with captions mentioning James. The majority of photos & articles on this small display focused on Bobby Byrd, the founder of the Famous Flames to which James was a member. [ JAMES BROWN'S TOCCOA YEARS ] James Joseph Brown was born in Augusta, Georgia May 3, 1933 and left a musical legacy that earned him the titles: "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". His lyrics & beats were so ahead of their time that it has made him the most sampled artist in music history. It is said other artists have borrowed from his songs more than 7,400 times. So you might understand why I was so COMPLETELY BAFFLED to find little to no information about him anywhere in Toccoa. People younger than 30 that I came across while visiting didn't seem to think he'd ever been to Toccoa when I asked, and only half those over 50 knew of his time here. One lady told me he was a janitor at the local school while another said he mopped floors at a car dealership. So for those of you hungry for information, here is what my research has told me: Bobby Byrd was a member of the 1952 group known as the Gospel Starlighters, who changed their name twice in a 3 year period before settling on "The Famous Flames" in 1955. James Brown joined the group in 1954. He met Bryd while he served time on robbery charges at a youth detention center in Toccoa. He'd already started his own band while in detention. Byrd was around 18 and Brown around 19. James was initially a drummer in the band after his release for good behavior, but soon became lead singer. Their first professional release with James singing lead was "Please, Please, Please" in 1956. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vruy2GRUsV8 Some of James Browns famous dance moves are said to be a reflection of what he saw preachers doing as he grew up going to church, especially when falling down to his knees. Writer James McBride said: "At the time, he was so funky and so hot and so good, and he danced so well... He was like watching a preacher preach without having to get saved to Jesus." AUDIO on James Brown's life (including Toccoa): https://www.krwg.org/arts-life/2016-04-19/the-lonely-side-of-james-brown [ HISTORIC TOCCOA ] Toccoa feels a lot like the town little Forrest Gump used to run through as a child in the movie. It has a very old southern charm and many of the buildings have historic markers on them telling you a little about their past. There is a beautiful old courthouse, an abandoned RC Cola bottling building, a trestle bridge, gorgeous 180' waterfall on the grounds of Toccoa College and a 1939 era Ritz Theatre still hosting live performances. Speaking of performances, on April 18-19 of 2022, The Mulligan Movie (filmed in Toccoa) will premier @ the Ritz theater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxxbjZ3PTvQ [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] Toccoa has a lot going for it, especially it's quiet charm and friendly people, but I would be remiss if I didn't express my DEEP DEEP DISAPPOINMENT for their lack of attention to James Brown's musical beginnings here AND that his first wife Velma Warren and children remained here all these years until recently. Seems like a crime of historic proportions to not have more attention given to their part of his legacy, but for some reason they almost treat it as a secret. It could be a destination town if you are a hiker, historian, kayaker or visit during one of their many special events throughout the year. 4 stars overall for historical value minus a star for omitting one of their brightest stars. Be sure to have a meal @ Shirley's Soul Food. If you're lucky and she's not busy, maybe she can share a story or two with you! 2022 / 42 #BlackHistorySeries2022

I was called for Jury Duty for my first time since I moved to this county almost 3 years ago. I was…read moreimpressed with the efficiency of the process. I had to be there by 8am. That was a bummer. There is a lot of parking in the garage and an elevator to take you to the right floor. I was grateful to the other kind ladies that gave me directions. I went thru security quickly. Stood in line to check in. All really smooth and efficient. Big room with lots of screens to update you on information. Although I was selected for a judges trial, the case never came to fruition and we were cut loose just before lunch. I made $30. Excellent.

I was summoned to jury duty on tuesday, and I had to get there by 8am. If you are reporting to this…read moreplace for jury duty, don't forget your yellow card that comes in the mail. There is security at the entrance, so they will ask you to pull out all your electronics out of your bag to put in a basket that goes through a machine. You get cleared, and you proceed to go up the escalators to the assembly room where you check in, and wait. (Make sure to check in every day that you go in, so they know that you were there). The staff were all friendly with happy-go-lucky faces at 8 in the morning. Once you check in, they tell you where to sit to wait for your bailiffs. There was coffee in the back, and magazines to look at on the right hand side of the room. The projector screen at the front of the room has a few slides playing on repeat about what to expect and how much you will be compensated. Here in gwinnett county, it's $30 per day, that comes after a couple weeks in the form of a debit card. Around 9am, we were assigned seating arrangements, and I got seated one seat to the left (I guess I got lucky, haha). Anyway, we waited another hour or so before we were called into the courtroom. There were about 40 of us, and they only choose ~12 people for the jury. The attorneys asked everyone general questions, then asked individuals specific questions, which took forever. We took a 15 min break where we went back to the assembly room/used the restrooms/ etc. Then went back in around 11:50am. The attorneys continued to asked questions til 12:30pm, where we took our 1 hr lunch break. I ate something in the cafeteria downstairs which ill review as well. Back to the court room, they ended up only asking 28/40 people individual questions because they had already had an idea of who to choose to be in their jury. They took 30-40 min to decide the final 12. Those who were not chosen went back to the assembly room, and got dismissed. By the time I left, it was already ~3pm. Before, if you were dismissed from jury duty from one panel, they would have you wait for the next panel to open up, but as of recently, if you get dismissed from the first panel, you are done for the rest of the week. You wont be summoned for jury duty for another two to three years. Hooray! We are all great citizens. All in all, minus the waiting, this was a great experience, and I hope to be selected to be part of a jury one day. The building smelled like the airport, and was really nice and neat. There were restrooms everywhere, so dont worry about not being able to find one. On a side note: if youre like me and you forgot to call in before jury duty and missed a day, you can just call to reschedule. But dont miss it on purpose. I literally forgot til the day of. Have fun!

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD…read more The Union County Historical Society is housed in the local historic court house building which was built in 1899. My absolute favorite part of this building was the top floor which housed the courtroom. I felt as if I was stepping into a scene from "To kill A Mockingbird" because this room reminded me of the courtroom scene from the movie. It was so cool, that words cannot express how it felt to be transported back in time. I experienced this room from every possible position, the audience, the jury, the defendant, the jury and even the Judge's chair. When you yell guilty!, there is a nice echo! Love it! This courthouse was super simple, besides the main room there were two smaller rooms used for jury deliberations and as the judge's chamber. This space is now used for Friday night concerts where you can hear Bluegrass, gospel and other forms of music. On the lower level is the main office and several rooms that reflect the towns history. The specific rooms reflect sports, religion, education, local politics, and military history. You will also find some interesting artifacts in the main hallway. I was surprised that there wasn't any information on the civil war just later wars. You must step outside and view the front of this building from a distance as it is truly breathtaking. I am so glad that a group of passionate citizens decided to fight the planned destruction of this building and its contents. It was absolutely worth being saved and is now the pride of this community. This courthouse is an absolute must see on your visit to the area!.

Went to the court of appeals today for oral arguments. For those that are going here, the actual…read morecourthouse is on 40 Capital Square, Atlanta, Georgia 30334.