Correcting information about courthouse, jail repairs and restoration

Total cost of repairs to the roof of the old Union County Jail at the southeast corner of the courthouse square came to less than $30-thousand. That included the new roof, water collectors, gutters and architect’s fees.

The total cost of the repairs and restoration work currently underway on the courthouse and jail comes to approximately $239-thousand.

It was incorrectly reported by NEMiss.News on Feb. 26 that the county was spending $239-thousand to fix the roof of the old jail.

Third District Union County Supervisor C. J. Bright contacted NEMiss.News to correct the error.

Of the $239-thousand being spent on repairs and restorations, about $200-thousand is being spent on the 1909 courthouse itself. Work on the courthouse includes cleaning and repairing of the masonry work on the building. Some of the mortar which brick masons used 106 years ago has deteriorated and will be replaced by new mortar during the restoration operation.

The bricks will be cleaned.

Most of the masonry cleaning and repair work on the south (back) side of the 112-year old courthouse building has been completed

Work on the courthouse will also include work on the 59 windows in the structure. This work will stabilize the windows to prevent them from deteriorating further.

Bright said the windows of the courthouse need to be completely rebuilt and restored at a cost of about $5,000 each, which would total about $300-thousand.

Money for completely rebuilding the old windows is not currently available. Bright said supervisors hope to have that work done when additional Archives and History grant money becomes available in the future.

It is also hoped that money may become available in the future for additional repairs and restoration of the old jail.

Contrary to what NEMiss.News had been told by some county officials, the old jail is actually has some use now.

According to Supervisor Bright, the drug court of the District Three Circuit Court District is using a portion of the old jail building.

The District Attorney’s office had until recently been using a part of the old jail as office space.

However, District Attorney Ben Creekmore is now leasing space from Jordan and Jordan Properties in what were formerly the offices of longtime New Albany attorney John David Pennebaker. Because the assistant district attorneys had moved out of the old jail, some county officials assumed it was no longer in use.

Eighty percent of the money for the $239-thousand in work being done on the courthouse and jail is being furnished by a grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Twenty percent of the money, about $47,800 will come from county tax revenue.