43
Trumbull officials prepare for moving of historical records to new location
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Trumbull County officials involved in the storage of county records will list the amount of documents they have over the next three weeks in preparation for discussions of finding new space to store them.
Frank Fuda, Trumbull County commissioner, said commissioners have been looking for three to four years for a building into which the county could put deeds, common pleas court records, tax records and the like but have been unable to find one for a reasonable price.
Now the commissioners may have to look into constructing a building to store them, Fuda said. It is important that the new site be located in or near the downtown area for ease of access, he said.
“We have to move them from where they were because we can’t have records destroyed,” Fuda said.
But the first thing needed is an estimate of how much space is needed. The group will get together in about three weeks to report on the space needed and to look at what the next steps should be.
Fuda said he doesn’t know what interim location will be used until a new location can be found.
The problem became more urgent when the basement storage areas of the county-owned Stone Building on Courthouse Square and Wean Building on nearby North Park Avenue flooded July 10, damaging many historical records.
The Stone Building basement took on up to 18 inches of water as a result of a sewer backup caused by a downpour that also caused flooding of the Mahoning River at Leavittsburg.
All of the records from the Stone Building have been removed and are being repaired at another location while county maintenance workers clean the shelving units, furniture and other items.
Those items need to be cleaned to prevent the growth of mold that could cause health problems for workers, Fuda said. The cost of the repair of the documents is likely to be about $200,000, though insurance will cover most of that.
The storage space in the Stone Building, known as the Archives Office, is closed during the cleanup.
Judge Thomas A. Swift of Trumbull County Probate Court said many of the historical records kept by his office are being stored off site.
“Fortunately, none of the probate records were destroyed and every effort is being made to protect and preserve these precious records which reflect the history of Trumbull County. Public access to original records will be restored as soon as possible. In the meantime, digital images will be provided,” a statement from the judge said.