Montgomery County government invites the public to a rededication ceremony for the county courthouse on Wednesday, May 6, at noon. The courthouse, which is the county’s third one to date, was undergoing renovations throughout 2025 and wrapped up by the end of that year. 2026 will also mark the courthouse’s 150th anniversary since its completion in 1876.
Designed by a former Confederate soldier named George W. Bunting, it has been the center for millions of cases ranging from horse thievery to murder. The cornerstone once contained a copper box filled with trinkets from the time of its laying in 1875. However, the current location of the time capsule is unknown.
Its current clock tower was installed on May 17, 2018, after over two decades of independent fundraising and construction. The original clock tower was dismounted amid structural concerns in 1941 when it was allegedly discovered to have been leaning towards Washington Street. Dr. James Kirtley, a local physician who passed away in 2000, helped organize the effort by forming a committee within the Montgomery County Historical Society to rebuild the clock tower. Sandy Lofland-Brown later spearheaded the project to its completion. It was dedicated to be named the Kirtley Clock Tower on June 17, 2018.
WCDQ will broadcast the rededication ceremony live starting at 11 a.m. on 106.3 FM, and also on the Forcht Media App.
Headline file photo taken by Kurtis Broadstreet.