By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–At Monday evening’s meeting, Home Inspector Ed Frazier presented his findings to the Henry County Buildings and Grounds Committee following his inspection of the courthouse annex. The annex, which was built as the Crete Opera House in 1899, is in dire condition.
Frazier said he determined there is ‘no Radon issue’ in the building but there is wood decay and high moisture, water-related problems there. He recommended the county hire an engineer to test the air quality in the building.
The Buildings and Grounds Committee met directly before Monday night’s Henry County Commission meeting and continued its ongoing discussion of the condition of the county’s aging structures and what can be done. The committee is working to find a new home for offices in the annex, which is in the worst shape of all the county’s aging buildings.
Chairman Marty Visser said the home health building on E. Wood St. will be available in January, when the former Henry County Medical Center moves out. He suggested placing the juvenile court and its offices in that building, with the County Elections and Archives in the TRC (Tennessee Rehabilitation Center) building and build a new building for the rest of those county offices that need to be moved.
Register of Deeds Pam Martin said, “If we do this, we need to do it all at once”.
County Mayor Randy Geiger reported Henry County received an unexpected payment of $750,000 from the TVA “so we’ll have funds to put in the building project”. As reported previously, the county also has received $500,000 in Tennessee Historic Development grant monies for restoration of the courthouse.
Commissioner David Webb said he would ‘rail against’ the idea of taking the courthouse bell tower down and keeping it down, as has been suggested by some Buildings and Grounds Committee members. “It needs to be put back up (after restoration work) and have it ring again.”
Photo: Home Inspector Ed Frazier addresses the County Buildings and Grounds Committee. Shannon McFarlin photo.