Linden Historical Society restarts restoration of old Marengo County Courthouse after 30 years

After decades of limited progress, a full restoration of the old Marengo County Courthouse in Linden is underway to turn the historic structure into a venue for community events.

Led by the Linden Historical Society and President Mike Peppenhorst, the 1848 Greek Revival structure is one of the oldest surviving courthouses in the region and has long been considered Linden’s most significant historic treasure.

To raise funds for its restoration, the Historical Society held a massive rummage sale in February, filling every room on the lower floor with donated items and bringing in $6,700. A second sale is planned for May 9, held alongside the community’s Founder's Day celebration on the courthouse grounds. About 20 vendors have already committed, and more are welcome. Proceeds will support the restoration.

Peppenhorst told Black Belt News Network that he was asked about a year ago to revive the restoration effort that last saw major work in the 1990s. He formed a new board of directors and began tackling the project piece by piece. Early efforts focused on behind-the-scenes work, but the public couldn’t see much progress.

“So we decided about two months ago to restore the facade of the building to show everybody that we were serious about this,” Peppenhorst said. The decision paid off immediately. “The first couple of days that the crew worked here, they said probably 20 people stopped to talk and take pictures and ask questions.” Social media response, he said, “has been just outrageous in a good way.”

Donations began pouring in, enough to cover the cost of the facade and nearly half the cost of restoring the eaves along the back and sides. Once exterior work is complete, the Historical Society plans to move inside to restore the original upstairs courtroom, built between 1848 and 1850.

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“We plan to restore this room just like it is now, just make everything look brand new,” Peppenhorst said. The long-term vision is to turn the space into an upscale venue for weddings, reunions and community events. He hopes to eventually reinstall the judge’s stand and witness stand, if photographs or surviving pieces can be found. “You just never know what people have stuck in their barns, their outbuildings, garages, under their houses,” he said, noting that the original pulpit used when the building served as a church was recently recovered after turning up at a local thrift store.

Founder's Day celebrates the early history of Linden, which Peppenhorst said was incorporated in the late 1800s and once carried names such as Hohenlinden and even “Screamersville,” a nod to the rowdy behavior of its early residents.

The courthouse also holds a dramatic place in Alabama history. Notorious train robber Rube Burrow was gunned down in front of the building in 1890 after escaping from the nearby jail. A mural downtown depicts both the shootout and the later courthouse that replaced this one. That building was destroyed by fire in 1965.

Peppenhorst said the restoration will take years, but the board is committed to doing the work correctly. “We are very dedicated, and we’re taking just one step at a time,” he said. “We’re going to do our very best at everything we do to make it authentic and original. Cut no corners.”

The Linden Historical Society can be contacted through its Facebook page for vendor inquiries, donations or additional information. You can also go the A Place Called Linden Facebook Page. Founder's Day will be held May 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the courthouse grounds.