Marion County celebrated the reopening of its 1913 Historic Courthouse on May 22 in Jefferson after a three-year restoration project.
The $5.7 million endeavor was a part of the Texas Historical Commission’s Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program. Komatsu Architecture served as the architect, and JR Jones Construction was the project’s contractor.
Anything that was not original to the courthouse in 1913 was removed; the county did add modern amenities, such as LED lighting and air conditioning.
As noted early on by the architect, the Marion County Courthouse has beautifully retained all of the original exterior building fabric and the majority of the interior building fabric (with the exception of the replaced wood windows).
The restoration projected reversed the 1973 building modifications, which were part of a remodeling project; these modifications were in disrepair and required upgrades to meet building codes. In addition, the “modernized finishes” on the interior had become worn and dated. County officials realized there was no better time than the present to seek a full building restoration to remedy these conditions while at the same time restoring the building to serve the citizens of this historical community on into the 21st century.
Other project achievements included:
- installed lighting for general nighttime façade illumination and replicated indoor decorative lighting;
- restored wall plaster and painting;
- removed wall paneling in conjunction with lay-in suspended acoustical ceiling system for HVAC rework and ceiling restoration;
- removed added partitions in primary offices and where possible in secondary offices;
- removed gypsum board and vinyl, restored plaster, and painted stair landing walls;
- made miscellaneous necessary repairs to marble wainscot throughout;
- restored the raised panel wainscot in the district courtroom; and
- restored original wall base and trim.
Prior to restoration, lay-in ceilings with fluorescent lighting were prevalent except in the county clerk records vault, stair landings, the second-floor storage room, and restrooms. Renovations called for removing the lay-in ceilings for HVAC rework and restoration of original ceilings, along with restoring vaulted plaster district courtroom ceilings with the addition of historically compatible acoustic upgrades. The master plan also called for including historically accurate and historically compatible lighting with supplemental down-lighting where necessary, and installing gypsum board furrings for concealment of ductwork only where absolutely necessary.
With regard to interior millwork, the following were restored:
district courtroom judge’s bench, witness stand, jury box, miscellaneous loose chairs, council tables, and dividing rail. The project also included replication of the original wood benches to replace existing added (presumably 1973) benches, and installing new, historically compatible wood public counters where necessary.
Original metal records shelving units in the county clerk and district clerk offices required restoration and repair.
Prior to the project, the county courtroom and Commissioners Court were not currently housed in the courthouse. These offices have moved back from the Murphy Building Annex to ensure the operational vitality of the 1913 courthouse. Submitted by Komatsu Architecture