Another step toward repairing the marble façade above the front steps to the Orange County Courthouse was taken this week. Kurt Guidry the county’s Maintenance Director and Commissioner Barry Burton met with an architect at the Courthouse to inspect the marble.
Don LaBiche from Beaumont inspected the marble from the ground all the way to the top of the roof. LaBiche evaluated the marble which has pulled away from the Courthouse structure and is currently being held in place with scaffolding.
The study showed the marble at the top of the courthouse where the lettering is located appears secure. The marble panels further down on the façade are broken and deformed. Those panels are attached to the building by bolts that have deteriorated on a framework over the years.
The damaged panels need to be repaired. The next step is getting a historical restoration contractor to come out and work with LaBiche on the repairs. “Get him to help us try to put together a budget so that we can get this thing corrected,” LaBiche said.
LaBiche estimated a couple weeks to get the cost evaluation and a plan to tackle the problem. County regulated bid procedures and finding a qualified historical contractor to do the actual work will take longer according to LaBiche.
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