Fire destroys historic Hancock County Courthouse
Published 2:10 pm Tuesday, August 12, 2014
- In this Sept. 7, 2000 photo, the The Hancock County courthouse is seen in Sparta, Ga. The historic Hancock County Courthouse has burned down in the central Georgia town of Sparta. Authorities say the call went out about 3 a.m. Monday, Aug 11, 2014, that the more than 130-year-old building was on fire. (AP Photo/Augusta Chronicle, Jim Blaylock)
SPARTA, GA. (AP) — The Georgia fire safety and insurance commissioner’s office estimates a blaze that gutted a historic courthouse may have caused about $5.5 million in damage.
Authorities say the call went out about 3 a.m. Monday that the more than 130-year-old Hancock County Courthouse was on fire. It was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrive.
The red brick exterior walls were still standing hours later, but the interior is burned out and the courthouse’s majestic clock tower is gone.
A spokesman for the state fire and insurance commissioner’s office says the cause of the fire is undetermined and there’s no evidence of foul play.
The Hancock County Courthouse was completed in 1883 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building had been undergoing renovations.