Photo submitted by Historic Valdosta.

Valdosta City Hall, built in 1894, was located at the corner of East Hill Avenue and was demolished in January 1959 by M.H. Durrett of Albany to make way for a parking lot. The building was said to have been constructed over a well “where old-timers said, ‘the coolest and sweetest water in the world’ could be had.” The top floor of the city hall served as an opera house, featuring a stage, wings, “old style theatre seating” and a balcony. Theatre troupes traveling by railroad would stop to perform, with Buster Brown and his Dog Tige fondly remembered. After movie theaters became popular, the opera house was converted into a courtroom and remodeled in 1932 to accommodate offices. For a time, the building served as the police headquarters and jail. Portions of the building were sold, including the bell to City Clerk Owen K. Prewitte, who placed the 984-pound memento in his backyard on Hickory Drive. The bell was cast in 1892 by McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland. The city hall was affectionately named “the Ornament of the City.” Information and photo are courtesy the Wiregrass Digital History Project, Valdosta Daily Times and the Lowndes County Historical Society and Museum, which is open free to the public 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday.