Restoration strengthens safety, allure of courthouse

More than 6 Ω years ago, the Mahoning County Courthouse lost its trademark Justice, Law, and Strength and Authority. In October 2010, crews removed those three grandiose statues that reigned supreme atop the award-winning century-old architectural gem of Mahoning County government.

Fears over the potential collapse of the cracking support structure upon which the 14-foot-tall and 17-foot-wide statues rested forced their removal and construction of a temporary roof as part of a large-scale $6.8 million renovation and restoration project to protect public safety and to restore the historic building’s aesthetic allure.

That ambitious project was ceremoniously capped Tuesday with the hoisting of the imposing copper statutes back high atop their home on the restored roof of the 106-year-old structure, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and engineering significance.

By all accounts, those handling the restoration of the 2,200-pound trademark of the courthouse performed impeccable work. The statues were restored to their robust green exterior color that had blackened from decades of soot and acid rain from the city’s once pollution-belching steel mills. The McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservatory Laboratory Inc. in Oberlin, nationally recognized for the quality of its craftsmanship, did commendable work.

Based on early reviews and first impressions, the same can be said for the overall courthouse renovation work under the direction of Murphy Contracting Co., the project’s general contractor. Some tasks remain, but the project is almost at its finish line at long last.

Though behind schedule and somewhat over its $6 million cost estimate, the extra time and expense appear to have been well worth the final results.

As Doug Martinec, construction superintendent with Murphy Contracting, put it, “It says a lot about our tax dollars at work.”

Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti was effusive in his enthusiasm. “This is a beautiful building, over 100 years old. The statues on the top of the building are the crown jewel,” he said, adding their return represents a highlight of his career.

SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

But amid the oohs and awws of the outward visual improvements to the courthouse, one must not lose sight of the broader and more important mission of this investment: enhancing public health and safety.

Structural engineers had cited significant dangers posed by neglect, including rusted carbon steel anchorages that once secured the rooftop cornice and balustrade. We also well remember the plight of one county common pleas court judge who endured water leaks through the ceiling and into her fourth-floor chambers. That’s hardly a snapshot judicial decorum on display.

With the restoration project in the home stretch, those dangers and embarrassments are becoming problems of the past. Given the painstaking attention to the project’s many details, we’re confident that county leaders and project contractors have succeeded in restoring maximum integrity – as well as Justice, Law, and Strength and Authority – high atop and throughout the county landmark for decades to come.