| NEWS RELEASE
Milam County Judge April 29, 2008 Spring is traditionally the time for spring-cleaning. If you have not noticed there has been some spring-cleaning going on at the courthouse. Well, maybe not exactly cleaning, but sprucing up anyway. Milam County was one of the first counties to be a recipient of the Texas Historical Commission County Courthouse Restoration Grant. These grants were funded by the legislature during the 1999 Legislative Session. Grant money from this program is dedicated to the restoration of historic courthouses in Texas. Restoration of historic courthouses was brought to the attention of the legislature when some of the older courthouses were demolished to make way for new improved facilities. Texas has more historic courthouses than any other state in the nation. The architecture and craftsmanship that is found in these courthouses is truly a national treasure. Many of the courthouses still in use today were constructed in the 1800s. The Milam County courthouse was completed in 1892. Of course with the renovation come some sacrifices as well. Before the renovation, a majority of the county governmental offices were all located in the courthouse. At that time it was a true one-stop service center for county government. The renovation process repaired some problems and modernized the courthouse. This required the use of existing courthouse space for new uses. What was once office space became elevator shaft, new stairwell and room for mechanical equipment. The loss of space required the county to purchase more space to house county offices. Luckily, there were several buildings located near the courthouse that were suitable for the offices that had to be relocated from the courthouse after the renovation project. One part of the renovation project was the replacement of the existing aluminum windows with original wooden windows. The new wooden windows require more maintenance than the aluminum windows, and that was one of the recent projects completed at the courthouse. All the wooden areas, primarily doors and windows have been repainted. The exterior of the courthouse has been cleaned. Some of the interior areas have also been repainted. Other minor maintenance work on the doors and some of the offices has been completed. Before the renovation process began a local pundit told me that there were reasons that changes had been made to the courthouse and he was right. Lowered ceilings in the District Courtroom improved the acoustics. Aluminum windows and doors require less maintenance. Carpeting helped with the noise levels. He was right. Maintenance costs may be up a bit, and taking the courthouse back to a close example of its new 1892 condition may have cost us some convenience. But you do have to admit we do have a beautiful courthouse. It is one of those things that makes me proud to be a Texan and proud of Milam County. With the green up of spring and the sprucing up of the courthouse now is a great time to get a look at one of the more beautiful courthouses in Texas. Restored to all its original grandeur the Milam County courthouse is something the county can be proud of. |
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