An Insider's Guide to Hidden Gems &
Lore Around Metro-Atlanta Courthouses
DeKalb County
Courthouse
Perhaps you have been to the old
DeKalb County Courthouse for an
event or even a wedding, but did
you know that ghosts and haunts
lurked within? Originally built
in 1823 and rebuilt several times
since, the Courthouse contains a
staircase closed off to the public,
which once was used to transport
prisoners from downstairs hold-
14
March 2018
ing cells to the main courtroom.
It is said that phantom footsteps
and the clanking of chains can be
heard traversing the staircase, and
certain presences and chills can be
felt. Purportedly, the footsteps and
the whispered voices are those of
the spirit of James Crowder. 1 Brent
Barron of the DeKalb Neighbor
reports that Crowder was publicly
executed at the Courthouse for
killing his wife and children af-
ter flying into a fit of rage, and he
can be heard proclaiming either
“I didn’t do it” or “I didn’t mean
to do it.” 2
Spooked by spirits of cases and
clients past or just looking to un-
wind with a spirit of your own?
Try the hidden happy hour at The
Pinewood (Wednesdays: whiskey
cocktails for $5; Thursdays: half-
price bottles of wine; Daily: from