Sneak preview of Courthouse

Sneak preview of Courthouse

Friday, 07 September 2007

The Williamson County Courthouse has undergone an $8.9 million renovation project to return the historic landmark to its 1911 appearance. Although slated to open Sept. 8, the Williamson County Commissioners Court agreed Aug. 13 to postpone the rededication of the county’s 1910 courthouse because construction is not complete.

The county received a $3.75 million grant in 2004 from the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program to help fund the project. County officials hosted a preliminary tour of the courthouse July 31. During the renovations, the Historical Committee worked to keep the materials used as similar to the originals as possible.

Railing

The railing in the former 26th District Courtroom, which will now serve as a courtroom for special purposes, was going to be replaced with new railing; however, someone found the original railing in a barn and brought it to the construction site. To bring the railing up to the current code, a banister was added to increase the height.

New stairs

The contractor removed the elevator, which was added in 1955, and replaced it with a new stairwell that is a replica of the existing stairs. Each step is coated with cast-iron tread to prevent slipping. Because cast-iron tread is no longer made, the contractor had to use a mold of the original tread to recreate the look of the staircase.

Dome ceiling safety glass

When the courthouse was built, safety glass was made with chicken wire. Today, it’s made differently; however, to keep the historical look of the courthouse, the contractors needed to have the chicken wire look. They took a picture of the chicken wire glass and laid it over the new safety glass.

Marble walls

The marble trimming along the walls in the main areas is all the original marble. The gray paint throughout the rest of the building is historically accurate. In 1911, the cost to trim a building entirely with marble was too expensive.