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Anyone who thinks the Houston County Court House is a lavish,
spacious, facility should have been on the “walkthrough” tour county
commissioners and the media were “‘treated” to last Tuesday.
Commissioner Ann Thompson and Personnel Director Tim Comstock started
the tour in the basement level, and worked their way up to the attic of
the historic stone structure built 125 years ago.
There’s a saying folks used to recite back during the Depression, “we
were so poor that when we butchered a pig, the only thing we didn’t
process was the squeak.” That old saying came to mind, as we made our
way through the building, and I could see how every single square foot
of space was being utilized to its fullest. There’s nothing but
“squeak” left.
We started in the basement, which reminded me of photos and film
footage I’ve seen of medieval castles. Massive rock, brick, and mortar
walls and ceilings, in vault-like fashion, is where much of the county
records are kept. As we made our way through the catacombs of the
basement level, I marveled how anyone could keep track of where the old
records from the various departments were located.
The ground floor seemed much more user friendly. I think it had
something to do with the fact there were windows letting in sunlight.
This area didn’t quite have the “dungeon” feel of the basement level.
It was amazing to see just how many county employees were squeezed into
very cramped working spaces. In one office, I think it was the social
services department, five caseworkers were shoehorned into an office
probably originally designed for one or two persons. How in the world a
social worker could conduct a confidential interview or conversation
with a client with just a five-foot tall fabric room divider separating
one work space from another is beyond me.
When a second assistant county attorney was hired this past summer, an
office area had to be found. There wasn’t any more room in the county
attorney office, so a chunk of the law library was utilized instead.
But to get from that office to the rest of the department, one has to
walk down a hall, and through several other offices.
A walk up the back stairs to the courtroom, which are used by law
enforcement officers accompanying prisoners to trial, was another step
back in time. The well-wore wooden steps, newel posts, and railings
were obviously original equipment. I can certainly see why the stairway
is off limits to John Q. Public.
During my quarter century as a journalist, I have covered county
government in six different counties. The courtroom in the Houston
County Courthouse is by far the smallest, and most archaic-looking I
have ever seen. I’ve been in the courtroom on a number of occasions,
and each time I can just about see Gregory Peck pleading his case in
the movie “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Some of the braver souls continued upward to the courthouse attic. As
with the basement, and the back stairs to the courtroom, one can really
get a feel for just how old the building is when looking around the
attic. Several air conditioning units hummed away, and a myriad of
radio antennas were attached to the massive home-sawed four by fours,
and six by sixes, that hold the steep roof in place.
Next stop was the county jail. The courthouse seemed quite modern,
compared to the jail, which was built eight years earlier in 1875.
Space is a precious commodity here as well. The sheriff and chief
deputy share an office, which can’t be more than 12 by 16 feet. Years
ago the sheriff and his family lived in the second story of the jail
building. A large air conditioning unit now occupies most of the old
livingroom and kitchen area.
An old bedroom is the office for the 10 deputies, who share several
computers located on counter tops. At times there is a waiting line for
the deputies to get on the computers to file their reports.
The laundry and a wall filled with lockers, are located in the
basement. Everything in the basement is up off the floor. I suppose
limestone walls that were set 10 years after President Lincoln was
assassinated might leak a little water from time to time.
The “walk through” tour certainly gave me a better idea of just how
critical the space issues are at the court house. It’s a tour I highly
recommend to anyone who has an interest in the workings of their county
government.
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