T-R PHOTO BY SUSANNA MEYER —  Grand Master Theodore Wiley and Junior Grand Warden Drew Mathias of the Grand Lodge of Iowa Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and Marshall Lodge 108 performed the Marshall County Courthouse rededication ceremony Saturday afternoon, and Wiley led the ceremony.

The second-floor foyer at the Marshall County Courthouse was overflowing with people on Saturday afternoon, as they were all eager to see the rededication of the building and then tour the facility for the first time in four and a half years.

The courthouse has undergone extensive renovations since the tornado in July 2018 with many bumps along the way, but the project is in the homestretch at last. The plan to reopen it at some point this winter, most likely by early February.

Although the building is not officially opened yet, the rededication was planned for Saturday because Nov. 19 is a momentous day for the courthouse. It was originally dedicated Nov. 19, 1886 and then rededicated the same day in 1978, so it was only fitting that the tradition was upheld.

The Masonic rededication was provided by members of the Grand Lodge of Iowa Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and Marshall Lodge 108. Grand Tyler William Dahms provided a brief background on Masonic ceremonies for the benefit of the audience, and then Grand Master Theodore Wiley was introduced to lead the ceremony.

“For time immemorial, it has been the custom of the ancient and honorable fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, upon request, to lay with their ancient forms the cornerstones of buildings erected for the worship of God, for educational or charitable objects, for masonic uses, or for the purposes of administration of justice and free government and of no other buildings,” Wiley said. “This cornerstone, therefore, we may lay in accordance with our ancient law.”

A prayer was led by Grand Chaplain Jeremy Myers, and then the ceremony continued. Deputy Grand Master Sean Morgan, Senior Grand Warden Harvey Woddy and Junior Grand Warden Drew Mathias ensured that the cornerstone was square, level and plumb. After this, they performed several other duties of the ceremony to consecrate the cornerstone before the pledge of allegiance was recited by all, and the national anthem was sung.

The room was packed with people during the courthouse rededication ceremony on the second floor of the Marshall County Courthouse Saturday afternoon, with people overflowing into the stairwells and side rooms.

Project Manager Scott Allen with OPN Architects also got the chance to speak during the rededication.

“Marshall County is a symbol of resilience. It survived the tornado in 2018 (and) the derecho in 2020. After both disasters, the courthouse became a source of strength for your community to rebuild. Marshalltown Strong. Many challenges have been overcome to arrive at this day,” Allen said. “We’ve not fully reached the end of this journey, but we’re due for a celebration.”

Allen described some of the challenges the project offered, including having to merge new construction technologies with a building that is over 100 years old and the sheer amount of damage the courthouse endured. He also thanked the team he worked with and the individuals in the community he had the opportunity to work with along the way.

“This is not the story of resilience for one building, it’s the story of community commitment to each other, your past and your future. On behalf of OPN Architects, we thank you for allowing us to be part of your story,” Allen said.

Following his remarks, Allen presented a plaque to the courthouse to commemorate the rededication of the building, and the Masonic ceremony concluded with a proclamation that the cornerstone was square, level and plumb and ready for use.

A plaque was presented to commemorate the rededication.

The VFW Color Guard performed a flag ceremony afterwards to retire the tornado era flag and present a brand-new flag to the courthouse. Marshall County Supervisor Bill Patten gave the tornado flag to the Color Guard and accepted the new one.

After the flag ceremony, the rededication concluded with closing remarks from various individuals and community leaders. Tom Swartz, who was the Master of Ceremonies for the event and who has historically been an advocate for the courthouse ever since he was on the Board of Supervisors back in 1974, introduced them.

State Rep. Sue Cahill (D-Marshalltown) spoke first, and she said she was honored to be with the community to celebrate the courthouse rededication.

“I’ve been a schoolteacher for 23 years at Woodbury School down the street, and whenever I talked about coming downtown, ‘Do you know where that big building is, that courthouse?’ and the kids would say ‘Oh, you mean the castle?’ And I’d say ‘Yeah, it is kind of like a castle,’ because many times this is where some of our dreams come true,” Cahill said. “Maybe you get a license for your new car, maybe you get property, and have it registered, maybe you get a passport that you can travel, maybe you get a birth certificate for your children or those in your family. The courthouse is a symbol in our community, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

After Cahill, each of the county supervisors had the opportunity to speak, and the overarching narrative was one of optimism and overflowing gratitude.

“All great things in our nation seem to have sprung from struggle, from the freedoms that we enjoy, to the liberties that we have, and this great building is absolutely wonderful. It has struggled from where it would be, its location here today. It’s struggled through people wanting to tear it down in the 70s,” Board Chairman Dave Thompson said. “It’s struggled through the tornado, the derecho and everything else, and it’s back here to serve you today.”

Marshall County Supervisor Dave Thompson, right, holds the tornado era courthouse flag that was retired during the rededication ceremony, and fellow Supervisor Bill Patten, left, holds the new flag that will take its place.

Thompson said he would be “remiss” if he didn’t acknowledge that the project had been a team effort between the supervisors and the many other individuals in the community that made the project successful, such as Marshall County Auditor/Recorder Nan Benson and Marshall County Buildings and Grounds Director Lucas Baedke, who both got a chance to speak after the supervisors.

When it was Baedke’s turn, seeing the project near completion brought tears to his eyes, and he expressed his deep gratitude to Benson and the other individuals who helped along the way.

Following the closing statements, those in attendance had free reign of the first four floors to explore the renovated spaces and see what the new layout will look like. The Marshalltown Municipal Band, who provided music throughout the event, also stayed to play Christmas music after the rededication concluded. On the first floor, snacks and drinks were available in the space that will eventually be the treasurer’s office.

The courthouse was open to all until 8 p.m., as the rededication also coincided with the Holiday Stroll. Community members attending the various stroll activities available throughout the day could pop in to explore any time.

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Contact Susanna Meyer at 641-753-6611 or smeyer@timesrepublican.com.