It takes a lot of money, time and work to restore old buildings to keep them up-to-date in order to preserve their historical value and everyday use. The DeKalb County Courthouse recently went through some much needed changes to stop the water damage to the interior of the structure.
One of the biggest concerns was to replace the roof that has been neglected for years. Hausman Metal Works and Roofing out of St. Joseph received the bid for the work. The old roof was completely torn off and replaced, including all the flashing. They put down new insulation, tar paper, a sealer and hot tarred the entire roof.
D and D Construction out of Gower was awarded the bid for the brick and tuck point work. They replaced the runnels above the windows that were causing much of the water damage and had not been tended to since 1939. Most of the water damage was in the hallways of the building and in the assessor's office, but was minimal. The damage could have progressed costing more money
in repairs if it had not been addressed when it was.
The courthouse is on the historical register and the outside appearance was not changing any so the county commissioners made a decision to go forward with the much needed repairs that did not require any particular approval other than their own. West District Commissioner, Wayne Colhour, said the project was funded with tax money. They tried to get grants to help pay for the repairs, but there was no money available. Some of the interior repairs were covered by insurance.
Colhour was informed that the tuck point work would have to be checked and sealed every five years and the commissioners have put that on their program. Construction began in the fall of 2011 and was completed in late June of 2012. Replacing the windows and a new heating and cooling system in the building is something they hope to achieve in the future if funds become available.
The DeKalb County Courthouse was built in 1939 after a fire destroyed the previous courthouse structure there on December 25, 1878. The current building replaced another brick structure that was erected in 1885 and razed in 1938.
