NEWTON COUNTY — A brand new future has been determined for the historic Newton County Jail Home.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners (BOC) voted 4-1 to change plans regarding the historic constructing. The transfer was made in the course of the Tuesday Feb. 18 assembly.
First inbuilt 1901, the 40-person-capacity facility operated because the county’s jail till the dimensions limitations turned too nice. A more moderen web site changed it in 1985, adopted by a fair bigger jail that was accomplished in 2003 and stays operational right now.
Although it has not been used to detain folks in many years, the historic jail web site stays standing.
The unique plan to repurpose the positioning outlined museum-like rooms in addition to house for the county’s 4-H operations. The design was accomplished, permits have been acquired and the native historic preservation fee gave Prine the go-ahead, asking solely that the outside bars on the home windows of the previous jail be left undisturbed. That method, it will stay clear for years to come back what the constructing’s authentic objective had been.
“The mission that we got firstly of this challenge was not solely to speak in regards to the preservation of the constructing itself however to repurpose it for the 4-H and the county extension workplaces,” stated Jeff Prine, challenge supervisor. “The thought behind that was sort of twofold. One was to recollect the previous and to commemorate that. Secondly was to sort of rebirth the power for a brand new objective that will give some hope and one thing of goodness transferring ahead.”
The challenge was poised to start development, however upon listening to pleas from some wanting the positioning to bear much less change, the BOC voted to vary the previous jail’s future.
Nwaka Hughes, the group liaison for the Newton County Board of Commissioners, launched the board to 2 people who advocated for the county to take care of the historic identification of the jail.
Consultant Tyrone Brooks, one of many Newton Six civil rights activists within the Seventies, and Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, founder and CEO of Protect Black Atlanta, Inc. addressed the board Tuesday. Upon studying that the cells throughout the historic jail have been set to be eliminated, they sought to come back earlier than the BOC to petition that the cells keep and extra efforts to protect historic equipment of the constructing be put into place.
“When you take away the cell blocks there isn’t a jail, it is only a constructing; it is only a shell,” Brooks stated. “We wish to reiterate to you mainly that if you are going to transfer ahead to name this a historic renovation of the Newton County Jail the place six of us have been held in 1970 for 2 months in solitary confinement by Sheriff Junior Odum [Henry Odum, Jr.], that you’d preserve these cells in place, that you simply do your renovation and no matter else it is advisable to do, however I hope that this board will instruct your contractors and renovators to guarantee that the cells should not eliminated.”
Alvarado described historic integrity as “a constructing’s skill to convey its historic significance,” and defined that sure options of buildings are what preserve the authenticity of their historic identities. She analogized the elimination of the cells with if the county have been to switch the long-lasting clock tower with a digital clock, saying that will take away the historic identification of the courthouse.
“We’d like these buildings to have the ability to function monuments to speak about what occurred inside when textbooks are not doing that,” Alvarado stated. “…[The buildings] are bodily, tangible reminders of issues that occurred. And after we take away these historic traits of the buildings, you miss alternatives, you lose sense of your cultural belongings, and you actually have a gem right here. I actually would encourage you to rejoice your historical past, to guard the buildings.”
The commissioners empathized with Brooks and Alvarado, finally going as far as to nix the plan to make the jail a 4-H web site.
In a movement made by District 3 Commissioner Stephanie Lindsey, the board voted in favor of prioritizing the preservation of the historical past on the web site, relatively than repurposing it. No jail cells might be eliminated on this endeavor.
Lindsey additionally beneficial that the positioning be placed on a nationwide registry of historic websites to make its preservation everlasting. A request that the county entertain this pursuit was included in her movement that the board handed.
Solely District 1 Commissioner Stan Edwards disagreed within the vote, which went 4-1.
“What higher method than to have youngsters march in there and see – if you wish to educate historical past then there we go,” Edwards stated. “I feel it may be repurposed for what Mr. Prine is attempting to reuse it for and protect the historic significance of that facility.”
District 2 Commissioner Demond Mason, who seconded Lindsey’s movement, shared his ideas throughout dialogue of the merchandise.
“I feel initially after we first began having the dialogue in regards to the renovation, we have been speaking about – there was an concept of let’s make this a historic museum the place residents can are available, tackle instructional journeys by way of this specific facility the place they’ll perceive what that a part of historical past was on this county and all that that encompassed,” Mason stated. “In fact, within the midst of getting that dialogue, it was introduced up about having presumably 4-H…of renovating it for that.”
I feel perhaps, Mr. Prine, we most likely wish to revamp this complete challenge and take a look at it and do every part that we are able to to presumably go forward and protect it as a lot as we presumably can, and perhaps we do want to search out one other house for our 4-H applications in order that [the jail] generally is a main historic web site that we are able to, from an academic perspective, really be capable to inform that story and preserve that gem right here inside our group.”
