Construction began on the impressive Bay County Courthouse in Panama City on this date in 1914. Completed in 1915, the courthouse featured a large central clock tower and elaborate gabled roof. Unfortunately, in 1920 a fire gutted the building and a new, simpler Classical Revival-style building, which exists today, was constructed in its place. The courthouse became nationally known in 1961 when Bay County convicted Clarence Earl Gideon of felony theft and refused to provide him with legal representation. This decision was famously overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1963, in the case Gideon v. Wainwright. The courthouse is one of only a few in the state built during this time period that is still being utilized as a courthouse.
