By Emily and Hannah Andrews
Recently, the Honorable Judge James Lockemy guided the Dillon/Marion Homeschool Group on a tour of the Historical Dillon County Courthouse.
The tour began with Judge Lockemy detailing the history of how Dillon County was formed and how the beautiful courthouse came to be. We were intrigued by the wealth of knowledge that Judge Lockemy was able to share with us. How the area changed from a small village with the Dillon Store in Upper Marion County, to the railroad system being persuaded by Mr. James W. Dillon to come thru that village. Then the separation of the village from Marion County to form its own county government.
We learned about Mr. Dillon donating land and $25,000 toward the building of a courthouse for the newly established county. Mr. William Augustus Edwards was commissioned to be the architect and designed the courthouse. The courthouse is a mixture of French, Greco Roman Classic, and American styles. Construction of the courthouse was completed in 1911.
We were then guided to the State Court Room where we were able to witness a Civil Hearing in which Circuit Court Judge Baxley was presiding over.
When Judge Baxley entered the court room, dressed in his robe, every person in the court room was ordered to rise. Many people may believe that you stand for the person, but we learned that you stand for the position that the Judge holds. It was interesting to see how a Civil Hearing was handled and how everyone responded to the requirements of the law. Judge Baxley told us about some of his responsibilities in the court room and that he was honored to hold such an important position in the county.
After the Civil Hearing, Judge Lockemy, Assistant Soliciter Shipp Daniels, Public Defender Will Groves, and Deputy Sheriff Michael Barfield led us in a mock trial in which each of us held different positions from judge to jury. They made this an exciting and fun way of learning the importance and purpose of a jury trial.
Judge Lockemy went back in history to 1787 when The Constitution was written and signed. He reminded us that the first three words of this historical document are: “We the people…”, and that the laws in The Constitution are for “We the people”. From this point he made sure that we all knew that the Court House is for “We the people“. All citizens of Dillon County are free to visit the court house to view its beauty and historic features. You can also come and observe proceedings that are held in the Dillon County Courthouse.
Speaking as students, we hope that the beautiful architecture of the Courthouse will be preserved for future generations. We hope that all citizens of the county will take pride in this historical building and do our part in keeping it a precious land mark.
Thank you Judge Lockemy for taking your time to share with us the importance and history of the Courthouse and of Dillon County!