FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Two of Montgomery County’s new buildings — the Courts Complex and the Historic County Courthouse — garnered awards at the Associated Builders and Contractors Mid-Tennessee Chapter Construction Awards of Excellence.
The Historic Courthouse was one of many buildings to severely damaged in the Jan. 22, 1999, tornado. County officials contemplated whether the building could be salvaged.
The historic courthouse was built after a fire in 1878 that destroyed 15 acres of downtown. The courthouse was designed by George W. Bunting of Indianapolis.
It was heavily damaged in a second fire in 1900. The Montgomery County Courts Complex won in the institutional $15 million to $25 million category.
The building was designed by Rufus Johnson and Associates and built by Ray Bell Construction Co. It replaced the Historic Courthouse as the main building for courts.
The building, which features state-of-the-art security systems and public computer databases, cost $20.6 million.