The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-04-03
MANY CHANGES
WILL Be MADE
2,70O Square Feet of Floor Space
VIII Be Provided For and Pro-
vision Will Be Made for Two
Court Rooms and Many Needed
improvements Will Be Made.

Hammonds Lake superior court
building is to be remodeled at cost
of $4,000, according to the decision
of the county commissioners, who have
already received sketches of the plans
of the now building from Beers &
Beers, Chicago architects.
FOR years there has been complaint
on the part Of the lawyers of the
county because of the poor arrange
ment of the building, both exteriorily
and interiorily. Utility has been sacri-
feed to the architectural appearance of
the building
The building was built at time
when it was the fashion to construct
bay windows, turrets, cupolas and
domes, and the people of Hammond
were very proud of their court house
when it was built. Now. however, the
idea of the best architects is simplicity.
This idea finds its exemplihcation in
the federal building. which is by all
odds. the most beautiful building IN
Hammond.
Provides More Space.
But it is not only the absurd ap-
pearance of the superior court build
ing, with its perpendicular leaky roofs
and it's castle-like corners, it is the fact
that there is not a room In the build
ing arranged with any idea of its avail
ability 1t was conceived as a thing
of beauty rather than with an idea of
its utilitarianism.
full and except for the fact that it has
a roof to keep off the rain and walls
20 keep out the wind it is useless as a
county building.
There is never a session of the su-
perior court that the Lake county law
yers do not condemn, in chorus, the
arrangement of the court room and
the lobbies To enter the court house,
on the way to the court room, is like
climbing a ladder to a hay-loft in a
barn.
The changes which will be made in
the building are very simple. All of the
ornamental corners will be torn out and
squared up so that the building, when
remodeled, will be a large rectangIe
instead Of a geornetrical puzzle. as it
now is
Plan Many Repairs.
The architects figure that the re-
modelin gof the corners will add a
floor space of 15x15 to each of the cor
ner suites of rooms. This means that
| 225 square feet of floor space will be
made available on each floor of each
corner of the building, making a total
Of 2,700 square feet.
The economy of this is made ap-
parent at once. The attitude of the
county commissioners is this: The
building will have to be remodeled any
way The floors will have to be relaid
owing to the use of inferior materials.
there will have to be an improved heat
/ ing plant put in, certain changes will
have to be made al once to provide
/ for the increased business that is be-
/ ing done in the offices of the sheriff
| county engineer and county clerk, so
why not do it all at once.
| They take the stand that while they
are at it they might just as well rem
| edy the defects that have been so glar-
/ ing for all of these years and make
/ improvements that will meet the de-
mands of the region for twenty five
years to come.
Plan Generally Approved.
The county officers are all enthusi-
astio over the plans for the remod-
/ eled building Those of the lawyers
who have seen the new plans are de-
lighted with them. They call for two
court rooms. as it is very apparent
there will be two judges sitting in
Hammond in another two years regard.
less of what the legislature does to-
ward the establishing of court a
Gary.
The plans to remodel the building
will meet with the approval of tn,
business men of Hammond and of mos
| of the lawyers over the county. The
| improved facilities provided VIII Dt
worthy of the development that ha.
taken place in the northern part q
Lake county since the court house wa.