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Sunday, September 16, 2007
Ind. Courts - "Allen Courthouse needs fixes on exterior"
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, a long story today by Amanda Iacone that begins:
After an $8.6 million renovation on the inside a decade ago, the Allen County Courthouse is on the verge of receiving some much-needed exterior maintenance.Although the previous renovation work focused on preserving murals and artwork inside the building, this project would focus on the limestone and granite that form the 105-year-old building. The limestone blocks and the mortar that holds those blocks together have deteriorated in places during the historic building’s long reign in downtown Fort Wayne.
Commissioner Linda Bloom is working with the Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust to determine the scope of the damage and how to repair it correctly.
The county commissioners, who are responsible for the building’s maintenance, have set aside $256,000 to help cover costs related to repairing the limestone, a project that Bloom says is not intended to make the building look like new.
Officials involved in the project don’t yet know how much such work will cost. But Madelane Elston, president of the preservation trust board, said it will likely not cost as much as the interior restoration.
Bloom and members of the trust want to repair the mortar where it has weathered away to prevent water from seeping in between the huge limestone blocks. Over time, that water could damage the stone or even seep into the building.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 16, 2007 10:00 AM
Posted to Indiana Courts