The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-01-19
The Fire Proof Buildings at the Court
House.

The Carroll County Court House stands on
an eminence on Court Street, in the eastern
section of this city, i'll the centre of lot about
200 feet square, which is surrounded by a
substantial iron fence. Around the building
are planted ash, linden, maple, pine and other
beautiful shade trees. The building is two
stories high, surmounted by cupola and on
either side are wings, in which are the fire
proof record rooms.
Although the building is not very imposing
in appearance from without, the interior is
commodious and comfortable. Through the
centre of the building is hall or passage way
Is feet wide aud GO feet long, crossed at its
centre by another passage way of equal width
and about 120 feet long.
Entering the building the first room on the
right is the Office of the Clerk of the Circuit
Court, occupied by DIR. +. T. Shaw, Clerk,
and his deputies, Messrs. Geo. A. Miller, B.
F. Grouse and Joseph A. Waesche. From
this room is the entrance to the fire proof
room, i'll which are kept the Record of Deeds,
Mortgages, Bills Of Sale, &C., the Dockets,
Equity papers and other documents On the
same side of the building, the room in the
rear is the County Commissioners office, &C.
cupied by Messrs. j. n. Selby, David Stoner
and Eli Il. Bennett, Commissioners, and
Chas. E. Lauver, County Treasurer. From
this room there is an entrance to another fire
proof room in which are preserved the books
and papers belonging to this office.
On the other side of the hall, opposite the
Clerks office, is the Orphans Court room,
occupied by Messrs. VIM. Frizell, VIM. I.
Smith and Elias Myerly, judges of this court,
Mr.. j. Oliver Wadlow, Register of Wills, and
Geo. NJ Parke, Deputy Register. Connected
with this is another fire proof room, in which
are kept the Records of Wills, Administra-
&c +bo
Court.
Opposite the County Commissioner Office
is the room of the Judges of the Circuit Court.
In the hall to the left under the stairway,
is the entrance to two rooms, one in the old
building, the other in the wing, occupied by
the School Commissioners, Messrs. E. o.
Grimes, l.. p Slingluff, Frank Warner, David
Prugh and DIR. Vim. Reindollar, Mr.. j. A.
Diffenbaugh, Secretary, Treasurer and School
Examiner, and Mr.. Orlando Reese, Assistant
Secretary,
The Court Hall, which is reached by stair
ways, from both sides Of the building, occu-
pies the greater part of the second story.
Opening from the Court Hall on either side
are rooms for the use of jurors. Just above
the Clerk office is the Grand Jury room.
From the time of the building of the Court
House until last year all the records were
kept in rooms where they were not protected
in any way from fire. Realizing the fact that
should fire break out in the Court House
and destroy the records, they could not be
replaced at any cost, authority was sought and
granted by the Legislature of 1880 to the
County Commissioners to cause fire proof
record rooms to be built. In accordance with
this authority, the wings, to which allusion
has been made, were erected, one on the
south east and the other on the north west
Al.
feet long and 20 feet wide and are constructed
in the most substantial manner. The walls
are IS inches thick and are built with hard
brick. The foundation is of stone and under
the floor are solid brick arches, covered with
a thick bed of concrete cement in which is
laid the tile flooring. The roof of each is
composed of four heavy brick arches, resting
on iron beams and on the arches is thick
coating of concrete cement covered with as
phat roofing. The only wood work used in
their erection is that in the window frames
and sashes, even the shutters to the windows
and the doors being made of iron. The IN
terror of the rooms is fitted up with cases,
shelves and drawers Of walnut and cherry
wood, and conyeniences in the way of desks,
&C., are provided for those who wish to CON
suit the records for any purpose.
The architect under whose direction the
buildings were erected was Thomas Dixon, Of
BALTIMORE, The contractors and builders, by
whom the work was done, were John F.
Adams & Co., of Baltimore, and Christian
Await & Son, of this city. The cases, shelves
and drawers were put in by John Thomson,
and painted by S. V, Bankert, both of this
city.
All the rooms on the lower floor have been
repaired, painted and partially supplied with
new furniture, and a tile floor has been laid
in the halls. The whole building, including
the fire proof rooms and halls, is heated by
steam from q large boiler in the cellar.
The cost of the fre-proof additions was
about $4,000. The law authorizing their
construction also appropriated for the purpose
of paying interest upon and liquidating the
bonds issued to build them, the surplus rev.
enues of the Clerk Office. This surplus will
be ample for both, and thus the substantial
and valuable Improvements cost the people
nothing. Before the passage OF the law the
fees of the Clerks Office went into the State
treasury for State purposes.