Rotten Courthouse: Renovation Delays

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Workers renovating the historic Jackson
County courthouse have been delayed by winter weather and
unexpected repairs.

Charlotte Mealor, chairwoman of the Historic Jackson County
Courthouse Committee, said the project likely won't be completed
until spring, nearly a year after it began in May. The plan is to
renovate the 130-year-old building to look like it did in 1908 and
use the interior for office space and community meetings.

The county's courts offices moved to a new building near
Jefferson in 2005. The county received $2 million in sales tax
funding for the project.

County officials say some of the wooden beams in the support
structure of the building are rotten, concrete window sills were
crumbling and pigeon droppings covered much of the interior. All
have had to be replaced, which was not part of the planned
renovations.