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Emfinger family dedicates old historic Dothan bell at County Courthouse on Dec. 12.
OLD COURTHOUSE BELL RETURNS TO DOWNTOWN DOTHAN
 Ellis Harville, left, the 3rd Great-Grandson of James L. Acree mayor in 1903 of Dothan, AL when Houston County was formed, rings the court house bell after it has been silent for forty-six years. Thanks to the Emfinger family for the safe keeping and return of the Dothan bell to public view.
The bell which once stood atop the 1905 Houston County Courthouse has now returned back to the spot where it tolled for over fifty years. County commissioners approved plans for the monument which returned the bell to the front of the current courthouse for all the public to see again.
According to the design approved by commissioners the bell is anchored on a steel frame nine feet atop a stone base. A plaque telling the history of the bell and the old courthouse was set on the face of the base along with mention of the Emfinger family whose donation returned the bell to the county. “I think it’s really nice,” said County Commission Chairman Mark Culver.
Construction on the old courthouse began in Feb. 1905 and took 210 days. The structure, which cost $54,000 to build, was dedicated on Oct. 28, 1905. It fell in to disrepair and was torn down in 1960. Emfinger Steel purchased the bell for $100.
The bell was loaned to the county by the Emfinger family to mark the 100th anniversary of the building. “They had it at their place for years and years,” Culver said. “They were gracious enough to let us gain access to the original bell that was in the old courthouse.” click here for images and more of the bell story.
Old courthouse bell returns to front of building for public to see
by Mark Randall, Ricey Stokes News
 The bell which once stood atop the old county courthouse could soon return back to the spot where it tolled for over fifty years. County commissioners on Thursday unveiled plans for a monument which will return the bell to the front of the courthouse for all the public to see.
According to the design approved by commissioners the bell will be anchored on a steel frame nine feet atop a stone base. A plaque telling the history of the bell and the old courthouse will be set on the face of the base along with mention of the Emfinger family whose donation returned the bell to the county. “I think it’s going to be really nice,” said County Commission Chairman Mark Culver.
Construction on the old courthouse began in Feb. 1905 and took 210 days. The structure, which cost $54,000 to build, was dedicated on Oct. 28, 1905. It fell in to disrepair and was torn down in 1960. Emfinger Steel purchased the bell for $100.
The bell was loaned to the county by the Emfinger family to mark the 100th anniversary of the building. “They had it at their place for years and years,” Culver said. “They were gracious enough to let us gain access to the original bell that was in the old courthouse.”
 Culver said he envisioned the bell being hung from an arch-like structure but said designers instead came up with a design so that kids couldn’t hang from it. “It will be a pretty big structure,” Culver said. “It will be where people won’t bump their head on it or be climbing on it.”
Officials had hoped to have the bell in its new home in time for the anniversary but said the labor and materials, all of which are being donated, has taken a little longer to get than expected. “This project is moving at a snail’s pace,” Culver said. “But when you are dealing with volunteers you can’t push them too hard.”
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