After 50 years without major updates, the Marshall County Courthouse received some serious improvements after the completion of $6.7 million worth of upgrades.
The new and improved Marshall County Courthouse opened its doors on Tuesday with a grand re-opening celebration commemorating the completion of more than two years of construction.
The project involved upgrades to the interior and exterior of the building, including the installation of a new security entrance on the enclosed front porch to prevent congestion at the courthouse’s entrance.
Work on the project began in June 2022, with an original projected deadline of the summer of last year. During Tuesday’s grand ribbon-cutting, Marshall County Commission President Mike Ferro described the upgrades as “not fun but necessary.” He noted the courthouse was built in 1875, and the building’s last “big remodel” was completed in 1972.
The project was budgeted from General County Funds, with an original contract sum of $6.52 million. Mike Ferro noted during the ribbon-cutting that the county has “always been very fiscally conservative” and was able to pay cash and not float bonds for “most of our projects,” including the courthouse upgrades.
Various city, county and state officials gathered to celebrate the re-opening, including Roseann Ferro, regional coordinator for US Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who read a message from Manchin on behalf of WV citizens.
“West Virginians deserve the best of the best when it comes to public service,” Roseann Ferro stated. “Establishing advances in technology and upgrades in the courthouse around our state is part of that service. I commend everyone who helped this grand reopening happen.”
The “best of the best” installed in the courthouse includes a permanent security entrance, a new HVAC system, a new generator, an upgraded electrical panel and new interior lights. Mike Ferro added other work had been performed to “clean up” the building, including repainting walls, and “unused and unnecessary” wires and cables were removed from ceilings and walls.
“We believe that, now completed, the upgrades will make a more pleasant courthouse experience for everyone,” Mike Ferro said.
Apart from a facelift to the inside of the building, the exterior also received attention with redone sidewalks and new landscaping. According to Mike Ferro, all trees and other plantings used in the courthouse lawn are native to West Virginia. The trees that replaced the pear trees on Tomlinson and 7th Streets are Spring Glory and Sprizam Serviceberry.
Since native plants “adapt better to local soil conditions,” Mike Ferro noted they will require less maintenance.
Mike Ferro credited the hard work of the main contractors who helped push the construction to the finish line during the ceremony. The general contractor was SQP Construction Group who used multiple subcontractors to complete the job. Electrical upgrades were performed by United Electric of Wheeling, Inc.; HVAC installation was performed by Kucera Plumbing Heat Cooling & Sheet Metal LLC and Information Technology Upgrades were performed by OMNI Strategic.
With the various upgrades, Marshall County Administrator Betsy Frohnapfel said the courthouse will be “set for the next 50 to 100 years.” She noted that technology upgrades were particularly needed so courthouse employees would be prepared for “any technology that comes down the road.”
In addition to employees benefiting from the project, Frohnapfel noted the new security entrance would keep the public “out of the elements” as they wait to enter the building.
“When people are coming to the courthouse, instead of waiting outside if it’s cold, rainy or 90 degrees like it’s been for the last 10 months, they can come inside and wait in the heat or the AC,” Frohnapfel said.
The updated HVAC system is another component of the project Frohnapfel believes employees and visitors will greatly benefit from. She noted that the airflow in the courthouse will be “much better and zone-controlled” compared to the courthouse’s former boiler system.
While employees and elected officials will now reap the benefits of the upgrades, Frohnapfel noted they “dealt with dirt” required to complete the project “very well.”
“Most of the work was done in the evening, so employees had to take everything off their desk before they left for the day,” Frohnapfel described. “When they got back into work, they had to get their work supplies, equipment and files back out.”
Apart from employees weathering the upgrades, Frohnapfel noted residents had also been “very patient” while using the alternate entrance to the building on the Sixth Street side of the courthouse during construction.
“The employees, public and security staff were great through the whole thing, so we thank everyone,” Frohnapfel said. “We had some delays that I don’t know how much of which could have been avoided, and our subcontractors worked very hard to complete the project.”
Seeing the ribbon cut on the upgraded courthouse was a “relief” for Frohnapfel. She noted that seeing the pictures and drawings first sketched for the project come to fruition was “amazing.”
“These updates are great for my office but even better for the people who work in the courthouse and visit the courthouse,” Frohnapfel said. “We’re thankful to all of them.”