Chimney issue slows progress on courthouse

Work on the exterior of the 1890 Courthouse continues at a slow pace as Donley County representatives negotiate chimney heights with the Texas Historical Commission.

Stephen Dodge of Phoenix I Restoration said in a construction conference last Wednesday that rebuilding a chimney on the northwest side of the building is keeping the roof from being completed.

“The roof has to be put on left to right, and we can’t go further until the temporary bracing on the chimneys is removed and this other chimney is finished,” Dodge said.

The northwest chimney was missing prior to the current restoration project, which restored it to a height of 23 feet above the roofline. But the poor condition of the original supporting masonry and unknown original construction conditions caused the chimney to collapse in November, knocking a hole in the roof and sending an 8,000 lb. section crashing into the scaffolding around the courthouse.

A subsequent report from the structural engineer on the project has recommended the chimney and its twin on the northeast corner be lowered from 23 feet to 17 feet to reduce weight load and wind load on the structures. The Texas Historical Commission, however, has not approved the design change.

“The THC believes this to be a restoration project, and we’re going to require the chimneys to be put back like they were,” said THC’s Lyman Labry.

County Judge Jack Hall said the county was not in favor of the chimneys being the original height due to safety concerns. It was a point echoed by project architect Chris Hutson of Volz & Associates.

“We’ve all learned now that masonry deteriorates over time,” Hutson said. “We’re not going to put our professional license at stake here.”

Labry said the THC was not unsympathetic to the county’s position but that his agency believed the engineer should be able to come up with a design that meets the original height and is safe.

Judge Hall said this week the engineer has a new plan to allow the chimneys to be rebuilt to 20 feet. That plan is pending THC approval.

Meanwhile, work is progressing on the interior of the building. Dodge said last week the ceilings are 75 percent done and the carpentry work is 96 percent finished. Staining of woodwork is “substantially completed” with only touch up work remaining.

Replacement tiles for the main corridor are being manufactured now, and painting of the interior walls and ceilings are coming along well.

Dodge also said workers are ready to proceed with bricking the third floor of the tile. Much of the new stonework is also now on site. Some of the stone is manufactured, and real stone quarried in Kansas will be used near the entrance.

County officials are still waiting for pricing information to determine what formerly deleted work to add back to the project. A completion date cannot be set until all change orders have been issued.