The historic Hancock County Courthouse in Sparta reopened its doors. The old courthouse burned down two years ago, leaving only parts of its brick exterior behind.
Sparta community members gathered at the courthouse for a rededication ceremony to celebrate the new building.
For the people who have lived in Sparta their whole lives, the destroyed courthouse was a piece of history gone.
Tamieco Williams remembers getting a call about the courthouse fire.
"The blaze, it was just so excruciating to me," Williams says.
John Henry has lived in Sparta for 90 years and has memories of the old courthouse from long before the flames.
"In 1944, when I became 18 years old, I came here in August, I remember, and registered," Henry says.
It's stories like Henry's that explain why this new building means a lot to the Sparta community. District Attorney Stephen Bradley says when the courthouse burned, it was devastating to the whole community.
"The way they brought it back, the quality, and the time they put into this, that's a symbol," Bradley says. "That tells folks about the commitment in this community to justice."
For Henry, the rededication ceremony was a symbol of how far the courthouse has come. He says he has seen laws change and rights granted there.
The new courthouse cost over $7 million to rebuild.