Then….and Now

A photo of the then recently completed Marion County courthouse is seen in this 1965 archive photo. The new courthouse replaced the cramped turn-of-the-century structure that stood on what is now the downtown square. A concourse at the eastern-facing main entrance of the building featured a fountain and benches. To the right is the federal courthouse, now known as the Golden-Collum Memorial Federal Building and United States Courthouse. That structure opened in 1961.

A 2021 view of the Marion County Judicial Center shows the extensive additions to the original courthouse. The latest addition opened in 2010 and the main entrance is located on the south side. That addition followed another done in 1991. The original 1965 building is still there, but it is largely obstructed by the additions to the east and a parking garage built to the west. The federal courthouse is still there but is also now obscured by the judicial center. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]