1878 Courthouse With a Face Etched in the Garret Window
20 Phoenix Ave, Carrollton, AL 35447
Research updated September 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
No charge to view the face in the window. Permanent binoculars are mounted across the street.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved courthouse square sidewalks
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1878 · National Register of Historic Places · Reconstruction-Era Alabama · Active County Courthouse · American Folklore
The current Pickens County Courthouse was constructed in 1877-1878 in Carrollton, Alabama, replacing the previous courthouse that burned in November 1876. It is the third courthouse in the city's history. The building anchors the Carrollton town square and continues to serve as the active seat of Pickens County government.
The courthouse is closely associated with the legend of Henry Wells, an African American freedman accused of burning the previous courthouse. According to popular tradition, Wells was held in the attic of the new courthouse during a thunderstorm. As a mob gathered outside calling for Wells to be turned over, a lightning strike at the garret window etched his image into the glass.
Historians have documented significant discrepancies between this account and the underlying events. The Encyclopedia of Alabama and other archival sources note that the windows of the new courthouse were not installed until February 1878, while Wells was shot at the time of his capture in January 1878 and died several days later. The popular legend appears to conflate two separate events: the lynching of a white man named Nathaniel Pierce, and the arrest and shooting of Wells.
The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The face image remains visible in the lower-right pane of the garret window and is one of the most-visited folklore curiosities in the state of Alabama.
Sources
The face in the garret window has drawn visitors to Carrollton continuously for more than 140 years. The image is reportedly visible only from the exterior of the building; viewed from inside the attic, the pane is described as ordinary glass. The face is visible from some angles and appears to dissolve from others. Permanent binoculars are mounted across the street for visitors who wish to view the image without crossing the courthouse property.
The Encyclopedia of Alabama notes that multiple cleaning attempts and repeated cycles of weather over a century have not removed the image from the pane. The window itself has been replaced at least once, and the current pane is reported to retain the image.
Local historians have not classified the courthouse as a haunted location in the typical sense. There are no reported apparitions, sounds, or interactive phenomena inside the active building. The folklore is concentrated entirely on the visible image in the window. The William G. Pomeroy Foundation installed an interpretive Henry Wells historic marker in Carrollton, providing the documented historical context alongside the popular legend.
Notable Entities
Step across the street from the courthouse and look up at the lower-right pane of the garret window on the north side. The image, attributed in local legend to lightning strike victim Henry Wells in 1878, is most visible in clear daylight. Permanent mounted binoculars are installed across the street for closer viewing. The window itself is marked with arrows.
Tours of the courthouse interior are sometimes offered through the Pickens County circuit clerk's office and Visit West Alabama. Visitors should call ahead to confirm availability. The active courthouse remains in operation Monday through Friday during business hours.
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