Washington Co. officials celebrate reopening of courthouse’s main entrance
Washington Co. officials celebrate reopening of courthouse\'s main entrance
When President Judge Valarie Costanzo was a young prosecutor in the district attorney’s office 30 years ago, she didn’t think much about the doors that swung open every time she walked into the Washington County Courthouse.
“Back then, I probably didn’t fully appreciate what those doors represented. They were simply the way into work,” Costanzo said Wednesday morning while standing with other dignataries in the portico of the courthouse’s main entrance on South Main Street in Washington. “But over time, I came to understand that entering through these doors means something much larger. These doors welcome people seeking justice, fairness and resolution.”
That had become more evident over the last seven years as the front entrance and its six, 10-foot-tall Brazilian mahogany wood doors had been closed since late 2019, first for repairs to the portico and then amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. After being elevated to president judge last July, Costanzo and the county commissioners made it a priority to replace the original weather-beaten doors and reopen the main entrance with enhanced security to keep the courthouse safe.
“And what a remarkable entrance it is. From the stained-glass ceilings, to the magnificent dome, to the historic architecture, this courthouse reminds us that justice is not only important, but worthy of dignity, beauty and tradition,” Costanzo said. “For years, these front doors remained closed. Today, we proudly reopen them, not simply as an entrance to a building, but as a renewed symbol of openness, accessibility and public trust. Today, we don’t just reopen doors, we reopen a tradition.”
Costanzo was joined at a special ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday by fellow Judge Traci McDonald, Court Administrator Daniel Buzard, state Sen. Camera Bartolotta and county Commissioners Nick Sherman, Electra Janis and Larry Maggi to officially welcome the public back in through the front entrance. Many other courthouse and county staff watched from the sidewalk below as the leaders spoke about the significance of reopening the front entrance.
It’s the culmination of several courthouse renovation projects costing about $3 million over the years that Sherman said has been a long time in coming for the 126-year-old building.
When he was first elected commissioner in November 2019, the portico patio project was just about to get underway as several enormous granite slabs were removed and replaced due to severe deterioration. But in the middle of that restoration, COVID-19 descended on the country, and work was halted before resuming in the summer of 2020, although the entrance remained closed afterward due to heightened safety measures during the pandemic. Instead, the West Cherry Alley entrance next to the Family Court Center was the only way to enter the building, making for streamlined security.
Last July, the county commissioners approved a nearly $200,000 bid for Cecil Township-based StoneMile to build and install the new doors. As Sherman noted, the courthouse is a National Historic structure, so the county couldn’t just buy new doors from a local home improvement store.
“Anything that could’ve gone wrong went wrong with these doors,” Sherman said.
But Sherman said it was worth the wait and Wednesday was a “special day” for them to reopen, not just for the people who visit the courthouse, but for the city of Washington and its business district.
“Opening these doors was so integral to me,” Sherman said. “It’s opening the doors to downtown Washington.”
Maggi, who has been a commissioner since 2004 and, before then, was the county’s sheriff working inside the courthouse, said he recalled a time when he was a state police trooper decades ago when there was no security entering the building. That has changed nowadays, and part of the delay in opening the doors was so county and courthouse officials could figure out new security procedures with the sheriff’s office, along with purchasing a state-of-the-art AI-assisted weapons screening system for both entrances.
“It’s seen good times, it’s seen bad times,” Maggi said of some of the notorious trials held there, along with happy occasions such as when military veterans would file their discharge papers. “There’s all kinds of history here. It’s important we have a grand entrance.”
Janis added that the courthouse often is the site for happy occasions, such as weddings and adoptions, so people will now be able to walk through the front doors and be greeted by the majestic atrium and sprawling staircases.
“It’s really doing the county a disservice to not have these doors open to the public,” Janis said.
Bartolotta noted that the courthouse opened in 1900, meaning it’s stood for half of the country’s history. She added that it’s important to offer the public a grand entrance just in time for the Fourth of July celebration of America’s semiquincentennial this year.
“It’s something we can be proud of for decades and decades, and for generations and generations,” Bartolotta said. “It’s been seven years in the making.”