Aug 9, 2017 2 min read

The upkeep of a building more than 100 years old is always a work in progress, and the latest renovation at Washington County Courthouse centers on the clerk of courts office, the filing place for matters related to criminal cases.

The space has been gutted, with most of the staff moving from the first floor to the second-floor judge’s law library, notable for its facing marble fireplaces with decorative stone inlay.

The southwest corner row office has had a burgundy and blue color scheme since a major re-do in the 1980s after the construction of the Courthouse Square office building in the wake of the county’s bicentennial.

Then-Clerk of Courts Barbara Gibbs came across glossy red, white and blue window signs exhorting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to “Carry On. Washington County is With You.”

The new look under Clerk of Courts Frank Scandale will be olive green and beige.

County employees have been handling painting and lighting.

Contractors are responsible for new furniture, installing data lines and flooring. Court Administrator Patrick Grimm pointed out the public areas of the row offices were designed with marble underfoot, while wooden floors, which will be carpeted, are beneath workers’ desks.

Justin Welsh, Washington County director of building and grounds, said Labor Day is the target to have the work finished.