By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–In a wide-ranging session Tuesday, the Henry County Courthouse Committee took steps to remediate structural concerns in the county’s aging public buildings, voted to apply for a grant to enhance public safety at the courthouse and annex, and approved taking down two decaying trees on the courthouse lawn.
Henry County Mayor John Penn Ridgeway distributed a report from OHM Advisors which pinpoints areas of concern to the structural integrity of the courthouse and courthouse annex.
The courthouse was built in 1896 and is the oldest working courthouse in West Tennessee and the third oldest working courthouse in Tennessee.
After touring the building, OHM staff cited several areas of urgent need and they recommended hiring a structural engineer familiar with historic structures to do a forensic investigation into the reasons for sagging floors and recommend potential fixes. They also recommended removing the bell from the bell tower or at least lower it to the roof below since the beam supporting it is badly deterioated.
They also recommended removing heavy file storage from the third floor of the courthouse and to deveop a remediation plan to repair or replace the rotted wood timbers and framing in the cupola, clock tower and attic spaces. They also recommended replacing rotted third floor windows and determine the cause and required repairs for sagging floors within the building.
The Courthouse Annex on W. Washington St. was originally the Crete Opera House and was built in 1899. It also has served in several other capacities, including as the National Toilet Co. cosmetics company and as the county schools offices. It currently houses the Juvenile Court, County Trustee and County Tax Assessor’s offices.
The OHM staff determined the adjacent buildings on either side of the annex (and which are not owned by the county) have been left to deteriorate “and are now in hazardous condition. Water infiltration from roof leaks, defective flashing, open joints in the masonry and rotted window openings have caused significant damage. It’s urgent that the structural integity of these adjacent buildings be evaluated/documented and a remedial plan be created to stabilize the structure (s)”, their report states.
OHM staff said there is an urgent need to engage an engineer to determine the extent of the deterioration in the building and to recommend a stabiliation solution to keep the buildings from collapsing. “Work with adjacent building owners to identify structural issues and a plan for them to stabilize their buildings and eliminate future water intrusion, since their fate directly affects the partial or complete collapse of the Opera House/Annex.” The report recommends that the county consider vacating the annex “since the collapse of either building would also be catastrophic for the opera house. Hire design professionals to assist the county to determine the repairs and modifications required to stabilize the buildings initially and then to determine next steps”.
Ridgeway said the bell in the clock tower “needs to come down immediately” and recommended steps be taken to restore the clock tower area. County Maintenance Director John McElroy has been researching restoration methods, which include replacing the present dome with a fiberglass dome, new working clock and bell. McElroy showed photos of the fiberglass construction which would look identical to the present tower area.
Ridgeway also distributed an assessment of the courthouse annex from Braganza Design which pinpoints several key areas, including ADA remediation.
“I want this building (the courthouse) to be pristine. This building is the center of downtown, the center of the county. Can we maintain the integrity of the building and go with more modern additions?”, Ridgeway said.
Members of the committee voted to seek quotes from several firms to determine work needed and costs.
In other business:
–After a presentation from County Clerk & Master Albert Wade and County Deputy Ricky Wade, who works as security officer for the courthouse and annex, committee members voted to apply for a $100,000 grant to implement security measures outlined in a survey conducted by TLETA Instructor A.J. Yokley.
The security measures cover a wide range of recommendations, including shoring up security at the courthouse front entrance, back elevator entrance, installing more magnetometer or metal detectors, increase number of security officers, etc.
–County Extension Agent Ranson Goodman presented a report on the condition of trees on the courthouse lawn. He and UT Institute of Agriculture Dr. David Mercker inspected the trees. He said evaluations of two mature oak trees “gave us concern” and both recommended that “both these trees will continue weakening” and that at this point “there is no saving them”. “In the meantime, as limbs die, they will be a safety hazard to pedestrians, particularly on windy days”.
Committee members voted to take the trees down.
Photo: Clerk & Master Albert Wade (standing) provides a report on courthouse and annex security to committee members. Shannon McFarlin photo.