COLUMBIANA COUNTY Taking the pain out of new windows

There are about 60 windows in the 1872 courthouse.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- The historical Columbiana County Courthouse has long been in need of new windows, but the high cost of the project has postponed the work.
Commissioner Jim Hoppel said Monday that it may be necessary to break the nearly $400,000 job into phases that will be more fiscally manageable.
Hoppel, who is in charge of county buildings, said he wants to propose to fellow commissioners Sean Logan and Gary Williams finding a contractor willing to install the windows a few at a time over a period of a few years.
"We're not going to have the money to do this all at once, but we want to get started," Hoppel said.
There are about 60 windows in the 1872 courthouse, and most of them are rotting.
Wasted energy
The aging frames and single-pane glass are also adding to the county's heating and cooling bill by allowing outside air to penetrate and inside air to escape.
New modern-construction windows will save the county money on its utility bill, Hoppel said.
He favors installing new glass that will preserve the period look of the building, which features tall, arch-topped windows.
Some of the windows will be replaced as part of a major courtroom renovation set to start in coming weeks.
Funding plans
The project will affect courthouse windows on the second floor and will be paid for through that $2.7 million undertaking. The courtroom project is being financed through federal reimbursement the court receives for handling certain child welfare matters.
But the county's general fund must absorb the cost of window replacement in the remainder of the three-story building.
Hoppel added that there are several wooden doors in the building that also should be replaced with modern ones.
leigh@vindy.com