Work continues on the historic restoration of the Polk County Courthouse and while it may not look like much is happening, a lot of progress has been made – more than meets the eye.
“It’s been a hot minute, but I’m back from maternity leave and ready to dish out some courthouse updates. Over the past several months, some big projects have been making this historic gem shine even brighter,” Polk County Grant & Contract Coordinator Jessica Hutchins said, as she shared what’s been going on.
“Plaster repair work has been underway for a while now, and we’re making great strides. The district courtroom repair is done, and it’s looking stunning. We started there so we could set up scaffolding to work on that beautiful arched ceiling up top,” Hutchins said.
“We’re now 55% through restoring our window frames. They’re being cleaned and prepped for a fresh coat of Sherwin-Williams Arugula Green – a perfect historical match. Yes, the courthouse is getting its green groove back.
“Sidewalks around the courthouse are out, making way for some serious digging. The extra boring we’re doing is to check capacity, flow and depth, helping us manage drainage around the property. Water, we’re ready for you,” Hutchins said.
“The old flagpoles on the north stylobates were pretty stuck. Let’s just say there was no pulling those out. Instead, we’ll be replacing them with historic-style light poles, which will also be in our signature Arugula Green. Classy, right?
“Floors on the first and second floors have been cleaned up. The third floor, with its stubborn old glue, is a bit trickier, but we’re getting there. And, with 90% of the walls on the first through third floors framed, we’re really seeing the shape of things to come,” she said.
“We’ve picked out terrazzo tile colors and are testing gentle cleaning methods to keep those tiles sparkling. For the outdoor steps, we’ll likely go with brick pavers over a waterproof barrier, a win-win for cost and charm.
“Great news! We passed structural steel integrity testing with flying colors. And while the landscaping has been removed for trenching work, it’s all part of our plan to restore with style.
“We’re working closely with the City of Livingston to sort out the sewage routing toward Mill Street and aiming to kick off work by year’s end.
“And there’s a fun fact alert. Our courthouse was built right during a period when the term ‘court house’ was morphing into ‘courthouse.’ Look up at the fascia next time you pass by; it proudly displays ‘Polk County Court House’ as a testament to its unique time in history,” Hutchins said.
The ongoing restoration is part of the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program, a grant program administered through the Texas Historical Commission.
