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Renovations needed on gable of iconic building

 

COLUMBUS—At the Polk County Board of Commissioners regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, September 5, the board approved $23,850 to repair the gable on the courthouse in Columbus. 

The gable has significant, visible damage due to sun and wind exposure. In 2019, the gable had repairs done at a cost of $32,000.

In 1999, the Polk County Courthouse was restored to its original 1857 design in 1999, thanks to a $1.4 million project. Community donations raised $400,000 of that amount. In 2016, the retaining wall around the courthouse was replaced at a cost of $98,515.

The newly approved project will repair the front gable facing the Womack Building. The project includes removing the old siding and replacing it with wood to match the historic building. The new siding will then be painted to match.

Mickey Edwards, director of Parks, Recreation and Maintenance, contacted five contractors regarding the project. Several didn’t have the equipment to work on a project of such height, but Champion Construction was ultimately awarded the contract. 

Edwards said the wood will be replaced with a siding “that’s a little more sturdy than what’s up there now.”

In the last 23 years, the county has allotted $2,701,308 to make repairs to the courthouse. With the additional $400,000 donated by the community, $3,101,308 has been spent on renovations.

The Polk County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.