Architect, engineer discuss Courthouse restoration, master plan with commissioners

Gonzales County has a fast approaching deadline if it wants to apply for up to $10 million to help restore the Courthouse, an architect told commissioners Monday, Nov. 27.

Tere O’Connell of O’Connell Architecture LLC told the court the deadline for submitting a draft master plan, which the Texas Historical Commission must have before the county can qualify for any Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) grant funds, is Feb. 5, while the deadline for the final draft of the master plan is April 5.

The county does not have an official “master plan” for the Courthouse. A plan created by John Volz of Volz & Associates in 1993 only addressed immediate structural deficiencies in the Courthouse tower and was not truly a “master plan,” said O’Connell, who was part of the Volz team that helped design the late-1990s restoration of the Gonzales County Courthouse prior to the creation of the THCPP by the Texas Legislature.

A master plan must include an executive summary; documentation of the historical and architectural development of the county and the Courthouse; an evaluation of existing conditions; restoration and rehabilitation recommendation and any supporting documents necessary.

“One of the things that people underestimate is the extent of the historic research that needs to be conducted,” O’Connell said. “It needs to have every Commissioners Court minutes that referred to the courthouse or the architectural development and the history of courthouses in the county. I think you only had one preceding this. But when that was built, why it was built, when it burned down, which was 1893, and then the history of construction of this courthouse through its changes over time. There was a big series of changes in 1958, I believe, and then again from the 1995 to 1999 time period.”

The current Gonzales County Courthouse was designed by famed architect J. Riely Gordon and was completed in 1896 at a cost of $64,450 after the original burned down December 3, 1893 — nearly 130 years ago. Gordon used a Romanesque Revival design that featured a Greek cross layout complete with corner entrances and a rotunda. A new roof was put on the building in 1958.

O’Connell said other documentation will include information about “all of the important people that have been involved with the courthouse.”

“Were there important court proceedings that happened in this courthouse?” she asked. “Who were the leaders? Who are the ghosts? Then we would talk about the current historic designations and the easements that exist on the Courthouse. Fortunately for you, it has every historic designation available to county courthouses, so that helps you in your final scoring categories.”

O’Connell said the master plan will “pick apart … every little thing about this building — the masonry, the plaster, the decorative painting on the wainscoting and the finishes throughout the courthouse window conditions, so on and so forth.”

The plan might determine if the building needs a fire sprinkler system or look at the security needs the building may have in order to make it safer. There could be hardware changes that must be addressed to help the building function while “still retaining its historic integrity,” O’Connell said.

Other issues that might be addressed include how to get people out of the building safely in case of emergency; accessibility improvements; and records and archive storage.

O’Connell said working on county courthouses has been “the bulk of my experience over the course of my career.”

“I'm very fond of the architecture, the architect who designed it, the history and the lore, the importance of the courthouse in the community, and the responsibility that you have as county to take care of this beautiful building,” she said.

In addition to O’Connell Architecture LLC, the team working on the master plan is comprised of WJE Engineering, which will be responsible for structural engineering and waterproofing services, and HMG Engineering, which will be responsible for mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering.

“I wanted (WJE) on our team because they are so exceptional, not only at the structural analysis of the building, but at waterproofing issues,” O’Connell said. “We have coatings that are peeling off at the courthouse and there might be some water coming into the basement area. There's some issues that need to be addressed and I wanted an expert on our team to help address identify and address those issues.”

She noted that when the past work was done on the Gonzales County Courthouse 25 years ago, then-County Judge Henry Vollentine was known to be frugal and “he thought that window air conditioners were just fine.”

“We had window air conditioners for most of the courthouse at the time, and they were all purchased new as part of that project in 1997, but, of course, you know, they rattle and make a lot of noise,” O’Connell said. “Getting a central air conditioning system into your building in a way that will not undermine the architectural integrity and reduce the physical impacts to the building, while still getting the ductwork and the air circulation that you need, is one of the biggest challenges. HMG has done that on several other J. Riely Gordon courthouses.”

Carl “Chuck” Larosche of WJE told commissioners he had recently scouted out the Courthouse to see firsthand what work is needed.

“As you're probably aware, you've got some fenestrations that leak and you've got a little bit of wood deterioration on the frames,” Larosche said. “We’ve got some issues with the surface water and then some issues with the masonry.”

Larosche said the limestone on the Courthouse was coated by paint or some other substance at some time.

“I don't know who coated it, but now the question in my mind is, ‘Can I get it all off and restore it? Do I have to recoat it? Do I have to strip it and clean it?’” Larosche said.

He added that there were “a number of side drainage issues” with standing water that is not moving away as necessary from low-lying areas.

“If you look at the sealant beads around the hardscape to the building, they're shot,” Larosche said. “They were shot a while ago, and you have some subsurface water migration that has manifested itself through the walls in the basement area, so that certainly needs to be addressed.”

Larosche also spoke about the wrought-iron structure of the Courthouse, which he said will present some challenges when it comes to doing modifications for HVAC upgrades not unlike ones he experienced during renovations at the Capitol in Austin.

He told commissioners it will be key to get “a very tight opinion and proper costs for the restoration of the building.”

“You don't get a second chance to go back and ask THC,” Larosche said. “You get one shot at that money so the money and the conditions all have to be very accurately identified.”

The Legislature has allocated $64 million for this biennium of THCPP funding and county’s receive a maximum of up to 80 percent funding, meaning they must foot the bill for at least 20 percent of the cost.

If the county qualifies for the full $10 million from THC, it would have to put up at least $2.5 million of its own funds to pay for the project and providing an overmatch, or additional funds, does help a county stand out on its application, O’Connell said.