1836 Courthouse, Now a State Historic Site
1 Public Sq, Dahlonega, GA 30533
Age
All Ages
Cost
$
Modest admission fee; Georgia State Parks pricing.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic 1836 courthouse with restored interior; ground-floor accessible
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1836 · Oldest Existing Courthouse in Georgia · Dahlonega Gold Rush · Georgia State Parks Historic Site · Bricks Contain Trace Gold
The Old Lumpkin County Courthouse was built in 1836 in the center of Dahlonega's public square, at the heart of Georgia's gold-rush region. The courthouse was constructed of locally made brick that includes trace amounts of gold, and was built to accommodate the sharp increase in gold-claim disputes that arose during the rush.
The building served as the seat of Lumpkin County government from 1836 to 1965 — a 129-year run as a working courthouse that makes it the oldest existing courthouse in Georgia, of 132 historic courthouses surveyed. In 1849, the U.S. Branch Mint assayer Dr. Matthew Stephenson is said to have stood on the courthouse steps and called out to gathered miners about the gold still in the surrounding hills, in language that would later be popularized as "There's gold in them thar hills."
After the county government moved to a newer building in 1965, the structure was restored by the State of Georgia and adapted as the Dahlonega Gold Museum State Historic Site, now one of the most-visited Georgia State Parks historic sites.
Sources
The Old Lumpkin County Courthouse appears in north Georgia ghost-tour writing with several recurring details: a tall figure in a hooded robe seen in second-floor windows and on the small balcony after hours, knocking sounds heard through interior walls, and clanking noises from the attic and basement spaces. The figure is described as a courthouse-and-jail-era presence in retellings, though there is no documented investigation report tying the figure to a specific historical event.
The State Historic Site's official programming focuses on Georgia's gold-rush history, the Dahlonega branch mint, and the lifeways of the region's miners. The haunted reputation circulates in regional travel and ghost-tour writing rather than in named-investigator publications.
Notable Entities
Visit the 1836 Lumpkin County Courthouse, now operated by Georgia State Parks as the Dahlonega Gold Museum. Exhibits document Georgia's 1828 gold rush, the U.S. branch mint at Dahlonega, and the lifeways of the region's miners. A 23-minute film features interviews with descendants of long-time mining families.
The museum sits at the center of Dahlonega's historic public square, the gathering place where in 1849 the branch-mint assayer is said to have called out the phrase that became "There's gold in them thar hills!"
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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