Centerville's 1886 courthouse still carries older brick

Centerville's courthouse has two construction dates hiding in one set of walls. Architect William Johnson designed the 1886 building on the footprint of Leon County's 1856 courthouse.

The builders did not start clean. They encased two surviving safes and reused much of the older courthouse's exterior brick. Pieces of 1856 are still doing their original work inside the 1886 building.

A full restoration returned the courthouse to its 1909 appearance and added restrooms, an elevator, modern building systems, steel supports, and a slate roof. Leon County rededicated it on July 1, 2007.

The historic details came back too. Rooms have striped wainscoting and non-working fireplaces. The district courtroom has ceiling fans, bare-bulb fixtures, original benches, and black walnut trim.