MISSISSIPPI COUNTY IN COURTHOUSE DILEMMA

CHARLESTON -- The azaleas and flowering trees still lend beauty to the stately brick structure that once housed Mississippi County's offices.

The Mississippi County Courthouse, heavily damaged by an arson blaze Feb. 10, remains a talking piece, but the discussion today is whether to rebuild or construct a replacement.

Former state legislator Betty Hearnes, wife of former Gov. Warren E. Hearnes, said she has worked non-stop for weeks to organize an effort to convince the Mississippi County Commission to restore the 100-year-old landmark.

The commission hasn't agreed.

"I am just an interested citizen in this," said Hearnes, of Charleston. "I didn't see anyone saving the courthouse."

Mississippi County Presiding Commissioner Jim Blumenberg said it doesn't appear Mississippi countians are in favor of spending an extra $1 million to restore the courthouse. "The consensus of the people is they are not in favor of spending $4 million to restore an old building," Blumenberg said.

He said the commission plans to propose a vote on a sales tax for a new home for county offices but hasn't decided whether to restore the courthouse or acquire another one.

Hearnes and a group of other interested residents recently went to a Mississippi County Commission meeting and asked for time to build a case for restoration of the building.

"We asked for time to bring in a group of independent professionals to study the feasibility and cost of restoration," said Hearnes.\

The commission granted two weeks for the study.

Asked to determine if the building could be saved were Mark Miles, historical preservationist of the Department of Natural Resources in Jefferson City; Melvin Starky, historic mason and construction specialist from Fredericktown; Jack Luer, preservation architect from St. Louis; J.R. Rhea, consulting engineer from Memphis; Swayne Byrd, a Charleston architect; and Jack Rickard, a brick consultant in Charleston.

Hearnes said they all agreed the damage isn't that devastating; that the building is structurally sound and should be saved.

In his report to the commission, Starkey said the basement, the exterior walls, the foundation and at least the first floor of the structure are all structurally sound. Luer estimated to rebuild the courthouse today would cost as much as $8.5 million but would only cost from $3 to $3.5 million to restore. The consultants said the building was only about 23 percent destroyed.

The presiding commissioner said the commission proposes a vote on a half-cent sales tax for three years to restore the building or acquire a new home for county offices. The tax would bring in about $400,000 a year for a total of about $1.2 million over three years, Blumenberg said.

Blumenberg said the commission is trying to get the proposal ready by May 28 so it can be put on the ballot in August.

"If you're looking at restoring the building, you're looking at going from a three-year tax to an eight-year tax," Blumenberg said. "The input we're getting is they'd rather have a new building."

The county has received an insurance settlement of $1.4 million for the damaged courthouse.

Blumenberg said that money probably would buy a two-story Victorian- or old English-style building. It would not be as impressive as the old courthouse, but voters want their tax money used conservatively, he said.

Hearnes said her next step is to get a plan and cost estimate for restoration. Armed with a petition of over 1,000 names of restoration supporters, Hearnes asked the commission for more time before the building's fate is determined. The commission granted them three more weeks.

Hearnes said the assessment will not cost the county a dime. "All of the professionals working on the assessment have donated their time," she said. "They are only interested in saving this historical building."

She said the assessment also will include the cost of earthquake-resistant walls.

Hearnes has been on the phone locating public and private financing to restore the courthouse. "I am not sitting around waiting," she said.

She and the other supporters are looking toward the next county commission meeting and hope the commission will decide to restore the building.

"We will be at the next commission meeting on May 8," she said. "We have done everything they have told us to do in the timeframe they have given us."

Hearnes said her goal is not just to restore a building. "It's the history of the county. It has been said there is no second chance to save history," she said.

(David Angier of the Southeast Missourian contributed to this report.)