Photo courtesy of Toombs County Deputy Wallace Thompson

It was bitter-sweet Tuesday morning as heavy-duty equipment began the final phase in the demolition of the former Toombs County Courthouse. For many people in Toombs County it held a trough of memories both good and bad.

Toombs County Manager John Jones said,  “It’s definitely marking the end of an era in the history of Toombs County, but also the beginning of another one.”

According to history, the Toombs County seat of Lyons was incorporated in 1897, and the first courthouse was completed in 1906. That building burned down in 1917 and was rebuilt in 1919. The courthouse that most Toombs Countians know was built in 1964, and over the years had filled the rooms to capacity – not to mention a serious lack of parking spaces especially on court days, and the need for various maintenance projects was beginning to mount.

In the spring of 2021, ground was broken on the construction for the new multi-storied and multi-million-dollar courthouse which now stands adjacent to the former one, and on Monday, November 20, 2023, all government offices had relocated to the new complex, and it was officially opened to the public.

Funding for the new center of government was secured by bonds with each city in the county contributing to the construction.

Jones said the old building should be completed demolished by next week, and the contractor, McLendon Enterprises, will separate the materials such as brick, concrete, and metals. Once that has been done, work will begin in preparing the site for a public park.

The County Manager said the park will connect to downtown Lyons and should be completed by the end of April or the beginning of May this year.