Thomasville Times-Enterprise: Thomasville History Center awarded 1772 Foundation Grant for Metcalfe Courthouse preservation
Thomasville Times-Enterprise, May 28, 2026
The Thomasville History Center has been awarded a $10,000 matching grant through the 1772 Foundation in partnership with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to support exterior rehabilitation of the historic Metcalfe Courthouse.
The award is part of $125,000 in preservation funding distributed this year to fourteen nonprofit organizations across Georgia maintaining historic sites and community landmarks.
Located on the History Center’s campus at 725 N. Dawson Street, the Metcalfe Courthouse represents the civic history of one of Thomas County’s early railroad communities. Metcalfe, located eight miles southeast of Thomasville, was founded in 1889 as a lumber- and agriculture-based boomtown that developed around its rail depot. By 1892, residents petitioned Thomas County to construct a courthouse for magisterial purposes. Although the building was never used for formal court proceedings, it became the civic heart of the community and served for generations as a public gathering place and voting precinct until 2002.
In 2003, after years of deterioration, the structure was placed up for auction by Thomas County. The Thomas County Historical Society (now the Thomasville History Center) successfully acquired the building and relocated it to the History Center campus in 2004, along with original contents including benches, ballot boxes, and voting materials, to ensure its long-term preservation.
Grant funding will support exterior stabilization and restoration work, including repair and replacement of deteriorated wood elements, surface preparation and repainting, reglazing of historic windows, and other measures intended to protect the building from moisture intrusion and long-term deterioration.
“This grant represents an important investment in one of the most unique and meaningful structures on our campus,” said Austin Bell, Executive Director of the Thomasville History Center. “The Metcalfe Courthouse tells the story of rural civic life in Thomas County, and we are deeply grateful to the Georgia Trust and the 1772 Foundation for helping us preserve it for future generations. Special thanks as well to the Metcalfe Heritage Society, the Thomas County Board of Commissioners, and the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce for their support during the grant process.”
The exterior work will also allow the History Center to begin planning concurrently with the Metcalfe Heritage Society and other stakeholders for future interpretation, programming, and visitor experience improvements, with the goal of advancing that next phase in 2027. The grant-funded exterior project is expected to be completed by May 2027.
For more information, including tour tickets and event details, visit www.ThomasvilleHistory.org.
