GREEN COVE SPRINGS – The town is known for many things, but chief among those things might be the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Clay County Courthouse, with it being visible along the skyline before even entering the city.

That wasn’t always the case, because before the 1970s, when tourists weren’t bustling on the riverfront, they were likely at the old courthouse located on Walnut Street in the city.

Serving as the home of virtually anything and everything legal, including but not limited to marriages, divorces, taxes, appraisals, licenses and of course, trials, the old Clay County Courthouse has seen thousands and thousands enter through its doors since its inception back in 1889. While most of that happens in different buildings throughout Green Cove Springs today, the old courthouse still finds purpose in the 21st Century.

“Back then, that courthouse was the center of the town, much like the new one is today,” Vishi Garig, Clay County’s archivist said. “Today, we use it for Teen Court and ghost hunters use it to see who still walks the halls.”

Garig holds a unique job title in a county government system filled with dozens and dozens of employees. As the archivist, she works as a service of the Clay County Clerk of Court to maintain, update, preserve and learn about Clay County’s history. As such, she’s the go-to guru for all things related to this county’s 150-plus year history.

While the courthouse isn’t nearly as busy as it once was, Teen Court finds its courtrooms filled often. Teen Court is a service of the Clerk of Court that allows juveniles who would otherwise be sent through the county’s juvenile system to go through quite literally, a teen court system. The lawyers, the bailiff and even the jury are made up of teens headed by an actual attorney who serves as the judge. Together, juveniles who might otherwise find their record tainted by smaller crimes such as shoplifting are able to go through a trial held by their peers, giving a unique experience to everyone involved.

“These kids can make it out of teen court and see the crime that got them there removed from their criminal record,” Garig said. “You can’t get into Teen Court without being arrested or volunteering. We don’t recommend that kids get arrested, but if someone wants to volunteer, we’d love to have them.”

When Garig isn’t helping Teen Court work efficiently or handing over the keys of the courthouse to ghost hunters – Garig said she’s heard the footsteps of ghosts in the jail and the old courthouse – late at night. Her archives office is located in the 1894 Old County Jail office.

“They’re used to me now,” she said with a laugh. “I’m used to them, too.”

Playing cards are positioned upstairs in the jail and checked periodically to see if they’ve been “moved.”

Built in 1894, the Old County Jail once held dozens of criminals in any of its 16 cells. Featuring large drunk tank-like jail cells, standard jail cells and even solitary confinement cells with little to no exposure to light. The jail, which closed in 1972, now is best known for its paranormal visitors.

The site of paranormal investigation most weekends these days, small-scale ghost hunters to larger conglomerates, like the SyFy channel’s “Ghost Hunters” television show, have spent nights within the jail to hear what past prisoners had to say. According to Garig, it’s rare that a team of ghost hunters don’t encounter ghosts in some way when they enter the jail. On her computer, she has dozens of electronic voice phenomenon and electromagnetic frequency recordings from these ghost hunter teams with many clearly showcasing past prisoners telling new visitors to get out.

Whether you’re a ghost hunter or someone interested in the history of Clay County, the old courthouse or the Old County Jail, Garig said she encourages everyone to make a trip to the Clay County Archives within the jail at 21 Gratio Place in Green Cove Springs. There, Garig is happy to show you some history, including documents and pictures from more than 100 years ago, or take you through a tour of where Clay County’s worst used to be held.