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Icing on the cake

Courthouse celebrates 125th anniversary, restoration on horizon

Wise County is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its stately courthouse this year, coinciding with its pursuit of state grants to restore the historic structure.

County Judge J.D. Clark said the goal is to take the building back to its 1895 condition but modernize it with technology and fire suppression.

HISTORIC BLUEPRINT – Wise County is applying for grants to restore the courthouse as it was built in 1895. The blueprint pictured is one of J. Riely Gordon’s original architectural drawings of the courthouse. Submitted Photo

“There aren’t many 19th century courthouses that haven’t been touched yet, but we’re one of them,” he said, referencing courthouses across the state. “It’s not just people here, but a lot of people statewide want to see this building restored.”

The county is currently finishing the courthouse’s master plan, for which they received grant money in January 2019 from the Texas Historical Commission (THC). It’s due March 1, and Clark said it’s the first step to securing funding for the actual restoration.

“It walks us through the history of the building and why it’s significant – architecturally and historically,” he said. “It also takes them through the condition of the building and what some of our priority problems are.”

Clark explained a complete restoration of the courthouse would include installing a sprinkler system, making the building ADA compliant, putting a balcony back in the district courtroom, removing the elevator from the center of the building and installing one central heating and cooling system. He also noted the courthouse is not water tight, and the basement floods every time there’s significant rainfall.

“With this restoration, they’d have to excavate around the whole thing so they could seal and waterproof the basement,” he said.

Clark anticipates the THC will approve the new courthouse master plan, which means the county will be eligible to then apply for a planning grant this spring.

“That’s to develop all the construction documents – blueprints, engineering – everything to get you shovel ready to do a restoration, but without doing any actual construction,” he said.

Clark Monday will ask for commissioners’ authorization to submit the planning grant if the master plan is approved.

“There’s a lot of excitement that we’re trying to do this,” he said. “There have been fits and starts of trying to do this for a long time, but I think it’s feasible now for lots of reasons.”

Clark said the county is in a better position to provide the necessary matching funds, and the purchase of the former bank building on Main Street and its renovation for a courthouse annex provides space to move offices during restoration.

The county will find out in July if it receives the planning grant. If so, when construction documents are complete, the county would be eligible to apply for grant funding when it opens up again in two years to go toward the actual restoration work.

“After you get your planning grants and construction documents done, they’ll give you three subsequent cycles to apply for that and try to get it,” Clark said.

In the meantime, he wants to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the building and raise money to help offset the match. He also wants to raise community awareness of the condition of the building and show THC there is community support for the effort, which is part of the grant scoring.

Events planned so far include Cocktails for the Courthouse in April at Trinity Street Coffee Bar in Decatur with courthouse-inspired cocktails, a birthday party at Decatur’s Sun and Sounds concert in June and a cornerstone celebration in October to mark the date in 1895 when the courthouse cornerstone was set.

Clark said they will also have a courthouse-inspired art contest for high school students, and the winners will be included in a traveling exhibition that will be on display around the county.

Currently, Ink ‘N’ Stitch is selling commemorative T-shirts with the proceeds going to the courthouse restoration fund. The front features one of J.Riely Gordon’s original architectural drawings of the courthouse, and the back features a quote from an editorial in the March 8, 1895, Wise County Messenger as county officials deliberated what type of courthouse to build.

It reads: “We want to see a courthouse possessed of two important qualities, beauty and durability … Let us have a courthouse that will be an ornament worthy of the size, wealth and importance of our county.” – Wise County Messenger, March 8, 1895

“With the 125th, it gives us a good opportunity to make the public aware of what we’re trying to do,” Clark said. “I also hope as we celebrate the courthouse, I can have an opportunity to talk to people about issues with it.

“You drive by and don’t realize it’s a 125-year-old building.”

COMMEMORATIVE T-SHIRT

Wise County has partnered with Ink ‘N’ Stitch to offer commemorative T-shirts with the proceeds going to the courthouse restoration fund.

The front features one of J.Riely Gordon’s original architectural drawings of the courthouse, and the back features a quote from an editorial in the March 8, 1895, Wise County Messenger as county officials deliberated what type of courthouse to build.

To order: Go to inknstitch.com/courthouse125.

Deadline: March 6

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