The Marshall County Commissioners mentioned what could be coming concerning repairs and renovation to the Marshall County Courthouse and Clock Tower when they met Monday morning.
Midwest Maintenance, Inc. Foreman/Supervisor Jerry Hazeltine explained to the commissioners in a previous meeting that rotted wood was found on the lower portion of the tower when workers were removing several layers of paint.
Commission President Kevin Overmyer said he talked with the expert from Ohio who looked at what would need to be repaired and replaced in reference to that damage.
Overmyer commented, “They looked at it and everything from the top of the clock base down is going to have to be replaced. They’re talking about – there’s a type of wood in Germany or Belgium that will probably be the wood that they use to repair it. They said that wood is long-lasting for at least one hundred years. They will replicate everything that’s up on the Clock Tower including all of the fancy woodwork, the scrolls and all of that will be replicated. It will go back together the way it was originally built.”
The pieces of wood removed from the original Clock Tower may be saved for the general public or for the Marshall County Museum or other historical organizations.
Overmyer added that estimates should be available this week. A specially-called commissioners meeting may be held in the near future to review the costs and to make a decision on funding repairs. The Marshall County Council would be invited to attend.
With these added repairs, the contract with Midwest Maintenance, Inc. will need to be amended to reflect the extra work and extra time needed to complete the project.
The scaffolding may stay up until the clock tower project is done which could be through July of 2022, although a formal timeframe has not been pinpointed.
