Courthouse History
Within the Courthouse Walls
Cases of Note
Along with the ordinary activities that
took place here, two court cases drew national or international
attention.
Bootleggers
and Stills
Stills and bootleggers are part of our
history, too. They often add a humorous element to our legal side. In
this 1911 case, however, being accused of selling liquor without a
license led a man to shoot the local police chief. He was found guilty
and became the 11th person to be executed by the electric chair in North
Carolina.
Bigotry, Betrayal and Mutilation
The 1925 Needleman case began with a
young woman’s response to loneliness while her
soldier
fiancé was away, and the bragging of a young, Jewish traveling salesman.
Mobs, mutilation in the form of castration, and prejudice followed. By
the time the case was over, a small but proud southern community had
faced its demons down and redeemed itself under the glare of reporters
from the New York Times and London newspapers.
Everyday Roles
Drama and notoriety aside, it was the role of
the courthouse in daily affairs that gave it lasting significance. Shy
young couples applied here for a license to wed and added their own
marriage certificates to the depository that held those of their parents
and grandparents. Here is where they registered, with pride, the births
of their children and, with sadness, the deaths of their parents. Many
of life's best and worst times were noted here in the simple ink that
reminds us all of our commonality.
Land–that vital commodity of rural life–moved inside these walls. Its
transfer from one generation to the next, or even from neighbor to
neighbor, carried with it stories of life and death, success and
failure. These walls heard the weighty pronouncements of guilt and
innocence and the consequences of each. There were meetings and
celebrations and solemn gatherings of community, too. Through it all,
this icon of stability stood.
In a place where utility is often the norm, the scale, lines and detail
of this building provided a subtle but important message: I reflect your
strength and return your worthiness with something fine; something
beyond necessity.