At the latest Pulaski County Historical Society meeting, Indiana Landmarks representative Todd Zieger spoke about the nonprofit organization's efforts to preserve the Pulaski County Courthouse.
Indiana Landmarks has taken it upon itself to fund a reuse study with its own money — an unusual step for the group.
According to Zeiger, Indiana Landmarks is currently working with county hired architects, Rowland Design, to draw up preliminary plans for a replacement facility. Exploring ways to reposition the existing courthouse, while remaining in place as a historical building, is one of the tasks being taken on by the organization.
"It is your touchstone in downtown Winamac," Zieger said. "It is what makes your town unique and authentic when you drive into the community, the courthouse. It is your touchstone, literally and figuratively, and to lose that would be just, we think, a real tragedy. We hope you would agree with that ... Where we are with our work with that is. We've received the proposal from Rowland Design and some of the pricing around that. We've received the feedback from the commissioners about what they want specifically to be looked at, so we make sure we meet those needs."
Three years ago, a plan was formed to renovate and expand the courthouse. However, cost concerns prevented the implementation of those plans. Zeiger went on to add that Rowland Design has also been gathering previous studies that have been performed. Meanwhile, security and other issues remain a constant concern.
He noted that the courthouse isn't short of space, however, there may be ways to better utilize that space. Zieger encouraged those in attendance to keep an open mind about a possible courthouse addition.
Ziger also highlighted some of Indiana Landmarks success stories around the state including the Winamac Vurpillat Opera House, which sits across the street from the courthouse.
The Pulaski County Courthouse stands on the Winamac city block bordered by East Main and Meridian along with South Monticello and Market streets. It was built in 1894 of Indiana limestone in the Romanesque revival architectural style, according to the Pulaski County Historical Society. State and national registers of historic places recognize the property as a historically significant structure.
Currently, the county commissioners haven't made any formal decision regarding the courthouse or its future. Kathi Thompson, a county council member and also the vice-president of the historical society, has continuously called for talks to resume regarding the matter.
A report the Pulaski County Board of Commissioners developed outlined 10 categories of the building’s deficiencies in January. The report indicated that renovating the courthouse would cost over $12 million while building a new facility would be a fraction of that.