In a ceremony held Friday, May 1, officials interred and sealed the time capsule in the new Forsyth County Courthouse in downtown Cumming. The sealed time capsule was ceremoniously placed behind the courthouse’s cornerstone, located on the front of the building.

The Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit solicited the help of the public in gathering items for placement in the time capsule. Some of the items included in the time capsule are citizen accounts of past courthouses, printed photographs of present-day Forsyth County, and more. The Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit, along with the Forsyth County Bar Association, sponsored an essay contest for Forsyth County middle school and high school students. The contest winners, Jacob Ruiz of Cornerstone schools and Erin Tozier of Forsyth Central High School, had their essays placed in the time capsule.

The ceremony also included recognition of the county’s five Rotary Clubs for their donation of six granite benches outside the entrance to the new courthouse. The Rotary Club of Forsyth County, Lanier-Forsyth Rotary Club, North Forsyth 400 Rotary Club, South Forsyth Rotary Club and Rotary Club of Johns Creek all came together to donate the benches.

“We extend our sincere thanks to all of the Rotary Clubs for coming together to provide the community with such a lasting gift,” said County Commission Chairman R.J. (Pete) Amos.

The new Forsyth County Courthouse opened March 16. Construction of the new courthouse and of a new jail was funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) VII program approved by Forsyth County voters in November 2011. The new jail is slated to open later this year.

The new Forsyth County Courthouse is approximately 158,000 total square feet. The building includes five floors plus a basement and will house Superior Court, State Court, Solicitor-General, District Attorney, Clerk of Courts, Court Administration, Grand Jury, Jury Assembly, Pre-Trial Services, Accountability Courts and Indigent Defense. The courthouse features enhanced security systems and overall improved efficiency.

Renovations to the existing courthouse are currently underway. It will be called the Forsyth County Courthouse Annex and, once renovated, will house the Sheriff’s Office headquarters and Probate Court, eliminating the need for rental properties currently in use. Renovations are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2015.