The Texas Historical Commission took an up close look at the Orange County Courthouse Wednesday. Architect Brit Barr with the commission visited the courthouse with Commissioner Barry Burton, Maintenance Director Kurt Guidry, and Phil Noland also in the county’s maintenance department.
They observed the scaffolding on the front of the building before going inside and looking at the bolts which hold the marble façade to the structure that have started coming loose. All four went to the roof and inspected the drains there near the flag pole that are suspected of causing the rust on the bolts which was erected in 1937.
Commissioner Burton is thankful that Barr has seen firsthand what the problems the county is facing with repairing the marble façade. Barr provided Burton with a copy of a Master Plan used for the previous renovation of a courthouse which will be helpful in the preparation of the Master Plan for HDR Incorporated which was approved on June 6 to develop the plan for Orange County.
The visit allowed Barr also to share information with Burton on the process to getting the repairs done to the courthouse and possibly receiving grant funds to help pay for those repairs. Actions that were based on assumptions were confirmed by the visit with Barr according to Burton. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate Brit coming down and talking to us about this.”
Barr indicated he could not make any promises of a grant from the Texas Historical Commission for the repairs. Barr added he will definitely work to see Orange County is given priority when the grants are awarded, probably early in 2018.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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