Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-03-24
PROPOSED court-House Enforcement.

Proposed COURTHOUSE Improvement.
The County Court of Jefferson County
will hold a special session next Tuesday,
March 10Th, for the purpose Of opening
bids for the construction Of the proposed
annex to the courthouse in Charles Town.
Plans have been made by A. B. Mullett &
Co., well-known architects, of Washing
ton, and number of bidders are now
figuring on estimates, which will be sub
mitted next Tuesday II is estimated that
the cost will be between $40 900 and Sl5,-
600. We understand that the commits
sioners see their way clear to pay for the
Improvement without levying special
tax-indeed, a considerable part OF the
amount is already in hand and will be
available as needed.
The Advocate states that the annex
will be directly back of the present court
house and joined TO it. 1t will be prac-
tically fifty-one feet square, the height OF
it less by several feet than the old build
ing. To clear the site for it, portion of
Lawyers Row, including the offices OF
Geo. M. Beltzhoover, Jr., Maj. A. w.
Mcdonald and James M. Mason, Jr., will
be removed. The old cistern made years
ago in the yard Of the courthouse for wa
ter supply as fire protection for the
building and its immediate vicinity will
be filled up and abandoned. A cellar, Is
feet in width and running under the entire
north end of the structure, will be the
only excavation under it. This will be
used TO install heating plant and for
storage OF coal. 1t is probable that this
heating plant will be used to furnish heat
for the entire courthouse building, max
ing ii independent of the jail plant, now
furnishing heat for both the jail and the
present courthouse.
Through the middle of the first floor a
hallway will be extended from the pres
emf hall in the old building. On the east
side OF the hall will be large fireproof
vault OF steel and concrete for the pro-
lection of the county records. 1t is pro-
posed to move the county clerks office
into the room now occupied by the Cir
cult clerk, so as to have it adjacent to
the new vault. The present county
clerks office will be converted into two
offices, one for the county roads engineer
and the other for the assessor. The cir
cult clerks office will occupy room "a
by % feet on the left Of the hall in the an
mex. Connected with it will be fire
proof vault, smaller than the one provid-
ed for the county records. A door at the
extreme north end of the hall will open
into library room Is feet wide, and ex-
tending from one side of the building to
the other. In it will be kept the law Ii.
brary of the Supreme Court, which holds
one term each year in Charles Town.
The only outside entrance to the first
floor will be through door at the south
west corner OF the annex on the George
street side. where the annex connects
with the old building A small hall inside
this door connects with the main hall.
and furnishes stairway to the second
floor.
The second-floor plans shows a hallway
running north and south, entrances to it
being through two doors, each to be
made where windows are now to the
right and to the left of the Judges desk
in the present circuit court room. The
first apartment on the right OF the hallway
will be an elegantly fitted up toilet room.
Next on the same side will De room
for the Judges ofthe circuit, and Supreme
courts. Beyond ii will be another office
room, II by II feet, and in the northwest
corner of the annex will be jury room,
II by IS feet. At the end of the hallway
will be second toilet room. Adjoining
it and in the northwest corner will be an
other jury room, the same size as the one
just mentioned. Adjacent to this there
will be two rooms for witnesses or priS-
oners, one for men and the other for
women. A small hallway leading from
the stairs to the first floor takes up the
remainder of the second-floor space.
The foundations walls are to be of
native limestone. Outside walls are to
be faced with No. quality selected ma
chine red brick, the inside walls, and the
backing of the exterior walls to be OF
arch brick. The stone work OF sills and
lintels are to be OF Euclid sandstone OF
uniform shade, the cornices and Ornamental
heads of American galvanized iron, the
roof of tin. The floors OF the large vault,
as well as those of the two large toilet
rooms, are to be laid with white hexagon
ceramic tile Plans for lighting the annex
specify two or three wire system for
electricity.