This location allowed the plaza to be used for traditional German celebrations. The courthouse interior follows the traditional cross-shaped plan. All of the rooms radiate from the center stairwell that rises up into the stone tower at the top. This design provided natural ventilation by allowing hot air to rise and leave the building through the tower. The courthouse's major repair need is repairing the roof.
Leaks can deteriorate interior finishes such as plaster and wood.
A common problem today in Gordon's courthouses is the fact that the light-weight concrete of the buildings' floors are crumbling. It seems that the steel mesh used to reinforce the concrete was not embedded deeply enough to prevent corrosion. Moisture has caused the concrete to break apart and separate from the mesh. Get Acrobat's Acrobat's Accessibility Reader for PDFs . Best vi ewed with Netscape 4.x or Internet Explorer 4.x or above.