Spartanburg gets New Courthouse

Spartanburg County showcases spanking new Courthouse

At Tuesday’s dedication of the Spartanburg County Courthouse, which opened to the public in January, Judge Mark Hayes recalled the first case he heard in the new facility.

“It was a complex case, and there were attorneys here from Washington, D.C. and from Texas,” he said.

The state-of-the-art, 340,000-square-foot courthouse made an impression. “They said, ‘What’s going on in Spartanburg?’ Well, we’re getting something right in Spartanburg,” Hayes said.

It was “visionary leadership,” Hayes remarked, that made the new courthouse possible.

“This is a monumental milestone,” said Spartanburg County Council Chairman Manning Lynch, as he welcomed guests to the dedication event.

Lynch noted that conversations about a new courthouse started more than a decade ago.

Local leaders considered various funding options, including a property tax increase or long-term debt. They decided to back a penny sales tax referendum, which passed by a wide margin in 2017. 

“I want to thank the voters,” Lynch said. He also recognized county leaders at the time of the referendum, including his predecessor, Jeff Horton.

“This project was badly needed,” Horton said. While some members of county council were “apprehensive” about asking voters for a tax increase, Horton said he was confident that the public understood the severity of the situation.

“About three weeks out from the election, I told everyone, ‘This thing is going to pass,’” Horton recalled.

The old courthouse opened in 1957. The court system had outgrown the building, which needed major repairs. The new courthouse, which cost $120 million to design and construct, features 17 courtrooms, security upgrades, and shell space for future needs.

Cox and Hayes touted the facility’s efficient and forward-thinking design. But both said it’s about more than functionality.

Cox spoke of the courthouse’s connection to Spartanburg’s founding in 1831. The courthouse was the physical center of the town, with everything in a one-mile radius being incorporated, she said.

“I loved the old building,” said Clerk of Court Amy Cox. “It broke my heart to see it demolished, but it was time.”