The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-09
new COURT HOUSE
PLANS FINISHED;
VOTE Is AWAITED
Magnificent Eight-Story
Structure With Modern
Equipment Is Outlined

Complete plans of Jefferson county S
new administration building have just
been finished by Harry B. Wheelock,
who was employed to prepare them by
the board of revenue several weeks ago,
and will be submitted for approval as
soon as the board or the people of the
county decide upon site.
The plans provide for an eight-story
structure, 347 by 149 feet. with 10
court rooms and spacious rooms for
every other department of county gov
ernment, making it when completed one
of the largest county administration
buildings in the United States and ade-
quate to care for the needs of Jeffer-
son county for the next 80 or IS years.
Withholds Cost
Mr.. Wheelock would not give out the
cost of the building provided for in his
plans, saying that was matter for the
board of revenue to deal with. He adj
mitted, however, that the total cost
probably would amount to considerably
more than $1,5O0,000, estimated by
members of the board.
1t was also admitted that the plans
were for a building on the site pur-
chased for that purpose several months
ago. Mr.. Wheelock declaring that il
would not fit the present site. If it is
decided to build there, a new set of
plans would have to be drawn, he said
The proposed building-will be of granite
base and stone exterior. with a Jail on
the roof served by two special ele-
yators.
The basement will be devoted to
storeroOms for the records of the pro-
bate and circuit courts and the offices
IF fha oh Ions ptt, hn
floor will contain the offices of the
probate judge, the county board of edu-
cation, now housed in a separate build
ing in another part of the city the board
OF revenue, the tax collector, the tax
assessor, the board of tax review and
the license inspector.
.. Six Courtrooms
! Six courtrooms for the trial of civil
cases. the clerk of thes civil division,
the chancery court, the law library, the
county highway engineer. and both di-
visions of the court of domestic rela
tions will be housed on the second floor.
There is room in the present building
for only one division of the court of DO
nestle relations, while the county en-
gineer and the law library are now
housed in separate buildings.
The fourth floor will be used for
jury assembly rooms. jury dormitories
and rooms where juries may deliberate
over verdicts. Provision is also made
on this floor for a press room for rep
resentatives of daily newspapers and
news associations and rooms for court
stenographers.
The cOurtrooms for the trial of Grim
inal cases will be included on the fifth
floor. with an additional courtroom foc
the court of misdemeanors at present
presided over by Judge H. B. Aber-
nethy. Offices of the county solicitor,
the coroner and the clerk of the crimi-
nal division of circuit court will also
be on the fifth floor.
Provision is made for two municipal
courts on the sixth floor, with six jury
rooms, radio room and telephone ex-
change, through which all calls for Off
Gals and employees of the county will
be received. The seventh and eighth
floors will be devoted exclusively to the
jail, the warden's office and auxiliary
offices. Wide space for outdoor exer-
else is included in the plans, and every
cell will be on the outside. Provision
is made for 420 prisoners, including rs
juveniles, who will be kept separate
from the others.