Officials joined family and friends Wednesday morning outside the Forsyth County Courthouse to honor a man who helped give the county its own court system.

The ceremony celebrated the renaming of the stretch of Hwy. 20 that passes over Ga. 400 as the Judge Richard S. Gault Memorial Interchange.

Gault, a superior court judge who played a key role in the 1998 formation of the Bell-Forsyth Judicial Circuit, died in 2003.

“It is important we remember those who have blazed the trail before us,” said Superior Court Chief Judge Jeffrey S. Bagley. “It is unfortunate that sometimes we fail to recognize the greatness of a person until they are gone. But knowing Stan, he would have shunned any accolades while he was alive.”

District 23 state Rep. Mark Hamilton authored state legislation making the dedication possible.

“We are very proud that we’re able to do this,” said Hamilton, before reading the resolution.

In addition to his work with the court system, Gault was a charter member of the Rotary Club of Forsyth County. Lynn Jackson, assistant district governor of the club, said Gault's civic work was “a model for the rest of us.”

“Having this interchange in his honor will certainly inspire current and future Rotarians to follow in his footsteps and continue to provide good community service,” she said.

The club and the Forsyth County Bar Association donated the $1,500 needed for the interchange signage.