1992 - 07-13-92 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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BboK v'J2 COURTHOUSE GROUND BREAKING Thank you Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chief Justice, Ladies and Gentlemen Lee County was created on March 6, 1907, by the enactment of Chapter 624 of the Public Laws of 1907 by the General Assembly of North Carolina. The establishment of the County was ratified by voters at an election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in July, 1907 (July 7, 1907). Although the act originally required the Governor to name the Board of Commissioners on or before the 15th day of March, 1908. those in authority strengthened by the vote of the people in favor of the establishment of the County sought and obtained an amendment which changed the date of appointment to the 10th of February, 1908, and the date for qualification by the Commissioners to the third Monday in February, 1908. In compliance with the amended law, Governor R.B. Glenn on February 10, 1908, appointed the following gentlemen as Commissioners, namely: Messrs. J.J. Edwards, J.R. Jones, J.F. Jones, J.F. Womble, and J.L. Godfrey. These gentlemen qualified for office by taking the requisite oath and held their first meeting on February 17, 1908. In addition to the normal duties imposed by law, the Commissioners were charged with providing temporary quarters for the court and public officials "until the court-house can be erected for said county", and further provided that "the court-house of said county of Lee shall be located on Lee Avenue between 15th Street and 16th Street as nearly as practicable midway between the Union Passenger Station in the town of Sanford and the Atlantic Coastline Railroad Station in the town of Jonesboro". The street names have all been changed and Lee Avenue is now Horner Boulevard, 15th is now MacIntosh Street, and 16th Street is now Courtland Drive. The other street forming the courthouse square is Elm Street which was formally known as Third Avenue. At the first meeting of the Board it accepted a deed from Dr. W.A. Monroe for the courthouse square referred to in the act and expressed their "thanks and hearty appreciation" for his donation. At an adjourned meeting held on February 21, 1908, in the office of Mr. A.A.F. Seawell, County Attorney, the Commissioners divided the County into townships and accepted the offers of the towns of Jonesboro and Sanford to use free of charge the opera house for a courtroom and three rooms in the McKeithen Building for the offices for the Clerk of Superior Court, the Register of Deeds, and the Sheriff until the courthouse was built, or the Commissioners made other arrangements. At a meeting held on April 6, 1908, the Commission took several actions with respect to the courthouse. First, they resolved that the construction of the courthouse be begun as soon as the Commissioners can settle on a Plan and make a contract for the building. The County Attorney was instructed to advertise for the sale of Lee County Bonds at 5% interest for an amount not less than 530,000, nor more than $40,000 for the purpose of building the jail and courthouse.