“An Epicenter of Renewal.”
That was one of the descriptions Friday afternoon as Laurens County unveiled the results of a $15 Million renovation to the Historic Courthouse in downtown Laurens.
Speakers said three years of work, preceded by two years of discussion and planning, had produced a masterpiece guided to fruition by Mashburn Construction. It is the 5th oldest courthouse in South Carolina and now, one speaker said, of the 46 in South Carolina “the most beautiful.”
Speakers said this accomplishment can spark a renewal of spirit in Laurens County, just in time for The Nation’s 250th birthday, and inspire future economic and social growth.
Dedication program emcee State Senator Danny Verdin said courthouses stand as “this fulcrum point for society.”
“We have a broad and distinguished group in the public and private sector with us today. Some of you may be standing on the very ground your fathers and mothers stood (and) your father’s father (and) your father’s father’s father, with the same blood coursing through your veins.
“At that time, they stood in our stead with a vision for the future.
“Today, we stand in the stead of those who will follow after us.”
For the Invocation, Verdin presented what he said has become the de facto national hymn of our country, presented in 1876, the nation’s Centennial and ringing through another Centennial, a time which now has become known as just “250”.
“We’re having historic celebrations all across our country, across our state and across our county; and what perfect timing for this edifice which is more than brick and mortar. We come here not just physically, but in mind and soul.”
He quoted from the Daniel Crane Roberts’ 1876 hymn, “God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand” (based on Psalm 46:1). That was followed by the presentation of colors by the Laurens District High School Navy JROTC Color Guard and the National Anthem presented by the Laurens County Chorale.
“I celebrate everyone on our council who has had a part in this today. Uniquely, I have been on council through the entirety of the project that you see before you and, to me, is it very personal,” Laurens County Council Chairman Jeff Carroll said. “Laurens County has a unique history and character that is anchored in this historic courthouse in this centralized public square. Any public square, but particularly this public square, represents the gathering place for the community; and our hope is that today brings the re-invigoration of our community today. The central portion of the courthouse behind us was originally completed in 1838, it was renovated in 1858, 1911, and the early 1970s. The years were not kind to the façade, the grounds, the foundation and it was inaccessible for those with mobility issues.
“It became an issue that required our immediate attention.”
The 2020 Capital Projects Sales Tax addressed exterior and foundational issues, Carroll said, but an additional investment was needed.
“And, it would have been easy to take no action, to let things continue to deteriorate and decay; but zero investment will give you zero returns. We are honoring the past and restoring the historic courthouse – a courthouse that will serve as an epicenter of renewal, of investment and activity in Laurens County. I began my service on county council in the chambers you will see today; and we were away for some time, and by some time I mean years; we’ve been waiting on the day when we would someday be able to return and today marks the new chapter for our courthouse, our community and our county council. This will be a full-circle moment to complete my service in the place where it began; and it is certainly an honor to share this day with everyone here.
“Our community is strong. Our future is bright. Our courthouse is magnificent and, once again, the courthouse is yours.”
Council Vice-chairman Matthew Brownlee thanked the current council and administration, previous councils and administrations, Historic Courthouse committee, other county staff involved directly, the legislative delegation for state grant funding, and “thank you to the citizens for voting for Capital Projects Sales Tax - your strong affirmation for this building, and all the other projects, allowed us to bring the full potential to this building.”
Thursday
Courthouse Tour
During a media tour on May 14, officials said the building has been restored to its 1911 look. Reporters were able to get the look and feel of the expanded courtroom, as seating has been changed from church-like pews to individual metal-that-looks-like-wood. Behind the area of the Council Table (dais) is the council’s conference room, likely where members will convene for executive sessions. On the other side of the building is the impressive South Sitting Room (each equipped with restrooms).
There is a small area for catering on this, the Second Floor, where the council will meet; there is a much larger catering kitchen on the ground floor around the corner from the Main Conference Room. Offices are aligned across from the conference room. Also on the ground floor are an access door and stairs to the upstairs, and the historical displays area on the side of the building facing the Laurens City Hall.
An elevator inside the building replaces the sometimes unpredictable lift that was outside the building, prior to the renovation.
Inside the council chambers / courtroom, track lighting is available to make the council more visible when meetings are live-streamed or broadcast.
County Administrator Jerre Threatt said the building’s cornerstone also contains the name “Mashburn”, but it is not the same company that did this current renovation, Mashburn Construction.
“Windows” around the second floor and in the lower floor display area show visitors what the brick used to look like, and the masonry techniques used during earlier construction, some of which have been lost to time and technology.
Threatt says the County Council plans to be meeting here in June.
In addition to the large conference room on the ground floor, there is a smaller conference room designated for the county’s legislative delegation (also with restroom access). It satisfies a legal requirement that a county must have a room for legislators to meet with constituents in the courthouse; it is accessible through its own ground-floor door (formerly accessing the Registration and Voting Office).
On the Laurens City Hall side of the building, there is a Visitor’s Center and small display about Laurens County and The Courthouse. Threatt said it is not meant as a museum, and signage directs visitors to the Laurens County Museum, about a half-block away. The visiting area has a gift shop area, and restrooms that may be made accessible when there are events on the Laurens Downtown Plaza. As Threatt and this reporter found out from entering this area from the rest of the downstairs, once you close an access door, you’re not getting back into the building through that door (it doesn’t have a handle).
In fact, one of the remarkable things about this building is how much of it can be “locked out” of the other portions of the building. That provides security - no one “roaming” the building - and access for just specific purposes (a person attending a county council meeting doesn’t need to access the downstairs conference room or offices, or the catering areas, for example).
People who have watched this renovation happen often have remarked about the gutters.
Upon installation, these were bright, copper-colored and now they are black. Threatt said they were not painted “just before” the building’s dedication. This is the natural process of the metal used, and many, many years from now they should start turning green.
Friday’s Dedication
Architect John Hansen gave a very personal observation of “many hours here, I have crawled up into the attic, which is an amazing structure. What an amazing piece of art that the fore-bearers of this county created for you. This was a labor of love not only for myself but for everyone involved.”
From the beginning, Hansen said the Laurens County Council stressed “this building is about the citizens of Laurens County.”
“I can’t thank them enough for the trust they placed in us.”
Hansen told the dedication audience, “When they built this building, there was nothing here. It was cow fields. They built this building with a vision of what Laurens would become, and as we sit here today, after almost 200 years, this building has played a significant role in the town and county of Laurens. The 200 years that follow are only going to be brighter than today.”
Mashburn Construction CEO Lee Mashburn said the company is proud of the work it has done on the Newberry Opera House, the Florence Hotel, the courthouse in Manning and, now, the Laurens County Courthouse. Ironically, when they excavated the cornerstone, it listed the original construction company as Mashburn and Bounds, “no relation to our company,” he said, since that company existed in the 1800s.
“Our mission of partnering to deliver an exceptional building experience is difficult to uphold when you’re on a project for three years. We started with the roof, then the façade, then the interior. And it is such a beautiful interior; you will see the woodwork, the stairs, the ceilings, the molding -- you will be proud and it is something we are certainly proud of. … we are so excited to present what we are presenting today.”
“This is 5th oldest courthouse in the state and, dare I say, the most beautiful inside and out,” Threatt said. Laurens Legend Ann Pamela Cunningham, who saved Mount Vernon and inspired the nation’s historic preservation movement, would have been 22 when this courthouse was built; Threatt said, “perhaps the beauty of this building inspired her.”
By coincidence, the Laurens County Historic Courthouse re-dedication is happening during the nation’s Historic Preservation Month (proclaimed here by the county council on May 12).
Threatt said he wishes he could claim credit for being here through the entire process (like Chairman Carroll and current council member and former chairman Brown Patterson), but he has been on the job with the county for just 6 months – “when I started, it was very much a work in process, I walked into a make-shift room with folding chairs and met with a team that I have met weekly. The details were set into place long before I arrived. People from many trades have shared their talents with us. The City of Laurens, Main Street Laurens, and Laurens CPW have worked with us.”
Guided tours of the courthouse were made available into the evening, as Main Street Laurens staged a Finally Finished Friday! event on the public plaza.
“It is a once-in-a-generation project that reflects an investment in our future, while tipping our hats to those who came before us,” Threatt said. “Laurens County is a place of tremendous opportunity, and this building will serve once again as a symbol of prosperity.
“It has been an incredible privilege for me to have played just a small part in the completion of this project. I hope you are just as proud as I am when you walk into the council chambers today.”
