Revisiting One of Fayette County’s Most Beautiful Spots on the 20th Anniversary of Its Renovation

On a lazy summer morning last week, I met all four of our kids at Latte on the Square in downtown La Grange.

We got drinks and then we walked over to get pig-in-theblankets and donuts at Lukas.

But instead of sitting out front of the bakery, or walking around the square, while we ate the goodies, I suggested we go sit in the courthouse atrium to snack on them.

Our two oldest kids were excited at the idea.

Our two youngest had no idea what I was talking about.

“You’re going to be blown away,” I said.

We walked into the courthouse and into another world.

We walked past that great sculpture by Pat Johnson of LaFayette, the county’s namesake, and down the steps into a sunken garden.

The atrium has a grand metal fountain, and is filled with huge plants, including the biggest fiddle-leaf fig tree I’ve ever seen.

It was hot outside but the atrium was cool.

The sound of the fountain made it extra relaxing.

There were enough benches inside for each of us to have our own and stretch out.

In the corner there’s a large iron deer that is the oldest thing in the entire courthouse. It was bought by the commissioners court in 1882 (nine years before the current courthouse was built). It used to sit on the courthouse lawn (where I remember it as a kid), but was often the target of vandalism. It was restored and put in the atrium in April 2005.

There’s a long story on the history of the deer posted right next to the statue.

I don’t think we saw a single person the entire time we were there.

Nowadays, there’s not a lot of reasons for most folks to go to the courthouse. The elections office and the car registration office have both been moved out.

But it’s well worth a trip especially this year.

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the completion of the renovation of the courthouse. It was a massive undertaking that returned the building to its former glory – and returned that atrium from decades as storage space – back into what it was originally intended to be.

The courthouse was built in 1891. The commissioners court voted to close in the atrium in 1949.

Former County Judge Ed Janecka was a driving force behind a $5 million renovation that began in 2003 and completed in 2005 that opened the atrium back up.

The atrium actually used to be open at the top, and birds and the occasional squirrel would get in. The renovation 20 years ago included a glass skylight that closed up the atrium but lets in sunlight. Under the direction of courthouse maintenance director Steven Svec, plants thrive in there.

It’s crazy to think that flood waters in 1913 covered this entire area as well as five feet high on the first floor.

We lingered there longer than we expected to. It was too relaxing to get up.

I was going to blow the kids mind’s even more by showing them the ancient, sprawling courtroom in the courthouse, which has been used in so many movies.

But there was a sign that the grand jury was in session – so we headed out.

Some of the kids said they wanted to go back and sit in the atrium the next time they need to study for a test.

When was the last time you went to the courthouse atrium?

That’s too long. But don’t try getting in on the evening or the weekends.

This is, after all, a working courthouse and is locked up except for during weekday business hours.