The life of the Weston County Courthouse: Part VI
Part VI
By Bri Brasher
with Leonard Cash
NLJ Reporter
The story of the Weston County Courthouse continues with the help of historian Leonard Cash. Last week’s issue left off with reports on repairs to the roof of the courthouse in 1927, yet an important piece of the building’s history needs to be added prior to this date in the timeline.
The laying of the cornerstone at the courthouse occurred in February 1910. According to “A Survey of Wyoming County Courthouses: Their history, architecture, documents, proceedings, and personnel,” published in 1972, “The laying of the cornerstone of the present courthouse took place on Feb. 10, 1910. It was a cold day, traveling was hard, and there was not a large crowd of out-of-town people in attendance, although there were a number of representatives from every part of the country.”
The program included speeches, music and a lunch prepared by Mr. Pete Kinney, according to the book, which was edited by Mrs. John B. Kendrick II. “A strong box containing copies of all records pertaining to the court house and various other documents, newspapers, etc. were deposited in a receptacle provided in the cornerstone,” the book stated. “The spirit of the cornerstone laying is strongly manifested when conversing with an old-timer who was present at the colorful ceremony. Each and every citizen of the county at that time is entitled to feel that he helped build that courthouse, and as many say: ‘We built it, we paid for it, it is ours.’”
Skipping back to our timeline from the 1920s, news of further updates to the courthouse property hit the stands on Sept. 27, 1927, when the newspaper reported in “Beautifying Court House Property” the following: “Start something and others follow seems to be the nature of the human race. The city has improved Warren Avenue and the side street around the court house and now the commissioners have ordered the cleaning up of the open space outside the fence and inside the sidewalk and flowers are to be planted therein. Tim Nolan has the job of preparing the ground and doing the planting the ground and dating the planting and if the other lawns and garden be taken care of are samples of what will be done at the court house, we will say that next summer will change what has been an eye sore into a thing of beauty.”
Cash continued with a notice printed in the News Letter Journal on March 14, 1929, titled “You will soon Own your Court House.” The notice announced that “it will be interesting to the people of the county to know that after a period of years, the last of the bonds that were issued in the sum of $25,000.00 has been called for payment April 1st the last payment is $7000.”
Then, on March 29, 1928, the paper printed an article with the headline “Additional Jail Space To Be Provided.” The article announced that work was underway in the basement of the courthouse. Until this time, the News Letter Journal reported, the basement was unfinished and used for storage. The renovation was underway to use the space for jail purposes. “When finished, the room will be suitable for the confinement of not only law violators but those who may be awaiting examination on charge of insanity, etc.,” the paper reported.
Additional work to the courthouse landscaping was reported in the local press on Aug. 29, 1929, when the commissioners voted to take down the fence that surrounded the courthouse and library grounds. The fence removal would allow for more soil to be hauled in and grass to be planted so the grass would run flush with the sidewalk. Without the fence in place, the lawn could be more easily mowed and the “unsightly spectacle of tall grass growing under and on both sides of the fence” taken care of. The courthouse fence’s wire was to be taken down and used in re-fencing a portion of the fence around Greenwood Cemetery. “The fence post had about outlasted their stage of usefulness and it was a matter of either rebuilding the fence or removing it and the fact that so little stock is now allowed to be loose in the city was taken as justification by the county commissioners in ordering the fence down,” said the News Letter Journal.
Jumping ahead a few years to July 1933, newspaper stories reported that the courthouse trim received fresh paint from Frank Barnes, who was said to be a local painter and decorating contractor. Within a short time, new awnings were also expected to be placed over windows.
The next note in Cash’s records regarding the courthouse came in June 1941 when the News Letter Journal announced that the county commissioners issued a bid for the construction of a vault in the courthouse. The vault was to be “built in the room now occupied by the Kugland Agency and Security Title and Investment Co. in the basement of the courthouse. The article said Kugland’s office would then move across the hallway in space formerly used by the county agent. “The vault is badly needed for storage space of county records,” the paper reported.
“He (Kugland) was an insurance guy for almost 40 years here. I think his first name was Carl,” Cash said. According to Cash, A-1 Agency currently uses a file cabinet that was once in Kugland’s office. Cash recognized the cabinet in a recent visit to the company’s office.
“They used to let certain people have office space in the courthouse. The title company was in there for years, and then the county commissioners decided they needed the room,” said Cash. They just shuffled everybody around, Cash explained.
The next report in Cash’s records came in November 1949, when the American Legion had an honor roll on the courthouse lawn to recognize Weston County veterans, according to Cash.
Then, on Sept. 11, 1952, the News Letter Journal announced that plans had been drawn up by Sheridan architects whose surnames were Cool and Whitney. The plans were for a basement and a two-story vault addition to be constructed on the west end of the existing courthouse. “The huge vault will be constructed of native stone matching the present court house and will be completely weather proof and fire and water resistant. The addition will constitute considerable renovations on the present building since the heating system and lighting system will have to be extended to the new addition and new lighting fixture will be installed in the vault,” the News Letter Journal announced. The article also said that the plans called for concrete steps and floors, as well as three fire-resistant vault doors.