LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
After renovations, storm damage and re-renovations, the Edgar County Courthouse is almost whole once again. Edgar County Board members and contractors hope the revitalized structure and the surrounding square can be displayed in its former glory, unobstructed by fences and machinery, in time for the annual Honeybee Festival this fall.
Crews began rebuilding the historic building’s deteriorating roof back in May of 2023. A new layer of red tile roof, along with copper gutters, flashing and other decorative elements breathed new life into the building. A fresh coat of paint on the upper portion of the courthouse and refurbished clocks complete the building’s new look – but work is still underway.
Three major projects remain before work on and around the courthouse can cease.
First, new drains are being installed under each of the building’s downspouts to direct water away from the building’s basement.
“We’ve had issues where the water’s gotten into the building before,” said Board Member Andy Patrick during an August 14 meeting, adding, “They (contractors) are going to come in and replace a lot of the sidewalks with the contract for finishing up the courthouse, so now would be the time to do that, so you don’t come in and tear up the sidewalks later.”
The sidewalks encircling the courthouse, as mentioned, are also receiving some much-needed attention.
“We’re going to be replacing 44 cracked and broken structures in the sidewalk. All of that is supposed to be done here in the next week or two,” said Board Chairman Jeff Voigt during a Monday, Aug. 26 study session. “They (contractors) are working feverishly.”
The stairs leading to the inner circle of the square’s sidewalk are also receiving some much-needed tender love and care as part of the sidewalk repair. The stair repairs add upwards of $80,000 to the cost of the repairs.
Many of the stairs require new foundations and repairs to abutments. Work is also being done underneath the war memorial to ensure the stability of its foundation.
Voigt explained that all the repairs should be complete and any leftover fencing surrounding the building’s perimeter should be removed before Honeybee Weekend.
The annual weekend festival, scheduled for September 27 and 28, will take up nearly every square foot of Paris’ historic square.
Kiwanis representative Betsy Higginbotham asked the council for confirmation that the fence would be removed before the event, as the obstruction gave volunteers pause last year.
“We put one bounce house on one side (of the courthouse) and one bounce house on the other, and then when the kids came up from school, the teachers were very concerned, because they were going through the street. Even though the street was blocked off, it still was a concern for the teachers,” Higginbotham explained.
Voigt promised to provide updates on the progress of the project before an official map is released for the event.