Franklin County Courthouse gets a touch-up

It isn’t the massive face-lift that wrapped up in 2006, but Franklin County Courthouse is getting a touch-up.

The state Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation awarded the county a $55,000 grant as part of its Historic County Courthouse Rehabilitation Grant Program, said Chris Moore, executive director of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit that works with the state on restoration projects. The county is kicking in another $55,000.

Sage Architectural of Kennewick is applying linseed oil to woodwork around courthouse windows, sanding the wood and applying primer and painting, said Jennifer Wagner, Franklin County facilities director.

“This includes all the windows and doors of the courthouse,” she said. “The metal grates that cover the north and south windows will be removed, sandblasted and powder-coated.”

The Department of Archeology gave the county $2.7 million toward the courthouse’s earlier restoration completed in 2006 to go along with money raised from a $10.2 million bond voters passed in 2002. That project restored the building to the original architect’s 1912 plans, including the cleaning and releading of its signature Tiffany glass dome, while also upgrading its technology.

“In a lot of ways, that project served as the poster child in the state courthouse rehabilitation program,” Moore said. “For 10 years, it’s been a really good way to assist counties with rehabilitation of the courthouses we have.”

The more recent grant deals with ongoing maintenance for the building, he said.

“I think the county is being a good steward of the building,” Moore said.

Franklin County’s is one of a number of courthouses to get two grants for renovations over the years. Moore said 53 projects have been completed at 25 courthouses in Washington. Nearly $14 million has been awarded to the projects since 2005.

The Benton County Courthouse in Prosser also is getting money from the state’s latest round of courthouse grants. The building received a $350,000 grant last year to restore exterior features of the building as part of a larger project.

The entrance to the Franklin County Courthouse, 1016 N. Fourth Ave. in Pasco, is expected to be closed for two weeks, which could be longer with inclement weather, Wagner said.

The contract calls for the work to be completed by June 30.

This story was originally published March 18, 2015 at 8:21 PM with the headline "Franklin County Courthouse gets a touch-up."