T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY A rededication ceremony and open house for the Marshall County Courthouse will be held on Nov. 19, the same day as the Holiday Stroll in downtown Marshalltown. Nov. 19 is the anniversary of the original dedication in 1886 and the previous rededication in 1978.

As Buildings and Grounds Director Lucas Baedke explained during Tuesday’s regular board of supervisors meeting, Nov. 19 is a significant date in the history of the Marshall County Courthouse. It was first dedicated on Nov. 19, 1886, and rededicated on the same date in 1978, so the fact that the annual Holiday Stroll happens to fall on Nov. 19 this year seemed like fortuitous timing and a perfect opportunity to celebrate its reopening.

“Being able to do it on that date coinciding with another celebration is going to be very nice. A lot of people will be downtown already,” Baedke said.

The courthouse has been closed since 2018 as a result of damages sustained during the EF-3 tornado, and the 2020 derecho threw another wrench in the process two years later. Now that it is nearing completion, county officials are ready to welcome the public back with an open house and rededication event.

Baedke said he hoped it would provide a good opportunity to showcase the new and improved building, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and also point residents to where they will need to go to find various departments and handle different types of business. County Auditor/Recorder Nan Benson added that while she hoped to provide some goodies to those who visit, the plan is to keep the event “pretty low key” and not decorate for the holidays because it won’t be fully finished yet — according to Baedke, it will be “real close,” however.

“As long as things continue on their current path, there’s not a lot of opportunities for surprises at this point. We’re making some really good progress on the inside,” Baedke said.

The rededication ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. with the open houses to follow from 2 to 8 p.m. The supervisors did not take any official action on the matter after deciding it wasn’t necessary, but all three were excited and ready to show the courthouse to the citizens of Marshall County.

During the same meeting, the board approved a total of $65,800.97 in change orders for the courthouse project to cover courtroom recording systems, storage rooms flooring, rotunda plaster repairs, ceiling grid changes, an asphalt paving increase and glazing changes.

Of those expenses, $28,851.26 are considered the county’s responsbility, while $22,639.78 is covered by insurance. The other $14,309.93 is listed under code, but Baedke said some of that amount will be billed as damages to the previous contractor. He added that other than ceiling grid changes and glazing changes, everything was planned for and covered within the budget.

The board voted unanimously to approve the change orders.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255

or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.