WINNSBORO – The newly renovated Courthouse in downtown Winnsboro was christened Monday afternoon with a ribbon cutting, speeches and refreshments.
The new renovations to the circa 1823 Robert Mills designed Courthouse have brought a new look to the more than 200-year-old Courthouse – the back rather than the front.
Because of safety concerns and other reasons, the stately front entrance to the Courthouse is no longer open to the public. The new glass, steel, and stucco entrance is at the back of the building where security is more easily attainable, and the look is more modern than classic.
Monday’s ribbon cutting was held at the new rear entrance with town and county council members, school board members, town attorneys and other town and county officials lined up behind the red ribbon that was cut by County Council Chair Clarence Gilbert, Clerk to Court Dorothy Belton, and County Administrator Vic Carpenter.
Following the ribbon cutting, those attending moved into the main hallway in the older portion of the Courthouse for official remarks from several county officials, then refreshments and photos.
“Fairfield County is proud of the time and effort it has taken to make this project happen,” said Carpenter, the first of the several speakers that included Clerk of Court Dorothy Belton. “Countless hours of dedicated commitment have led to this ribbon cutting today for the Fairfield County Courthouse.
“Courthouses represent the ideal we all strive for in this country,” he said. “Their purpose is the blind delivery of justice and the law. Two hundred years ago, this structure was first opened with that goal in mind.”
Carpenter reminded those in attendance, however, that, sadly, the desired blindness has not always occurred. But, he said the people still, to this day, desire and work towards outcomes that treat everyone equally under the law.
“Today, we rededicate this Courthouse with that goal in mind,” he said. “The leaders of our Courts and constitutional offices all are charged with upholding the Constitutions of both South Carolina and the United States. The preamble of the U.S. Constitution says it best:
“‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’
“We dedicate today this Courthouse with that overarching goal always in front of us,” Carpenter said. “May we always live up to the standards and expectations placed in front of us.”
When It All Began
According to City Directories and History, portions of the current Courthouse were designed by one of America’s early architects, Robert Mills, and built in 1823 by William McCreight & Sons of Winnsboro.
“The Courthouse was originally only the two-story main court room upstairs with offices beneath. In 1938, a major renovation to the building added the back three story addition as well as the curving case iron stairways on the front.
“The front section facing South Congress Street and the columns were added at a later date, and the circular stairs were added in 1939 when extensive restoration and enlargement were undertaken,” according to the City Directories and History.
