Jefferson County Courthouse Repair and Reconstruction—
The reconstruction of the Jefferson County Courthouse is steadily progressing, according to the Jefferson County Commissioners. On May 20, 2009, just a few days after being repainted in anticipation of Madison’s upcoming Bicentennial Celebration, the roof and cupola of the 154-year-old courthouse were completely destroyed by fire. Efforts to stem the fire’s spread unfortunately resulted in water damage to the interior of the courthouse, including damage to most Circuit Court, juvenile, and probation records.
Jefferson County Courts are still adapting to this sudden loss, but are “just about back to normal,” says Circuit Court Judge Ted Todd. According to Judge Todd, the biggest adjustment was dealing with the incredible backlog of cases and disarray of files after the courts reopened on June 5, 2009. Clerk Kim Smith agrees, stating that although the courts have caught up on their caseload, her office is still diligently working on cataloguing and organizing the records removed from the courthouse. Most of these records are still in boxes, and are in no particular order. “There is a lot of hunting,” she says, “but the public has been very patient.”
Following the fire, the Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk’s offices were temporarily transferred to the basement of the former Madison Bank and Trust building, approximately one block west of the Courthouse, and the Circuit Court itself was established in Venture Out Business Center on Madison’s hilltop. The Circuit Court has since moved across the street from the Courthouse. Jefferson Superior Court has relocated to Judge Alison T. Frazier’s former law office on East Second Street in downtown Madison.
Rough carpentry work on the roof was completed in early March, while masonry work, shingles, and the addition of copper downspouts are scheduled to be completed by March 22. On March 26, Jefferson County will receive and open bids for reconstruction of the courthouse cupola. The company chosen to perform this construction will build the cupola off-site, dismantle and ship it to Jefferson County, and rebuild it atop the courthouse.
After the cupola and roof have been completed, contractors will tackle the difficult and likely time-consuming task of mold remediation. As of yet, there is no end date set for this project, although Judge Todd states that he anticipates returning to the rebuilt Courthouse in approximately one year.