Ross Hill, Belvue, presented geological information about limestone quarried in this area and questioned its long-term stability in structures such as the Pott County Courthouse. Hill cited an article in The Topeka Capital-Journal titled “Kansas State is Crumbling” about the deteriorating condition of many limestone buildings on the K-State campus....
Editorial / 26.10.2017
Something of Value
Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine something you hold dear, something that would be the first thing—a diary, a photograph, the family bible—you’d grab if there were a fire; something that marked the passing of a loved one—a parent’s gravestone or a veteran’s memorial; a favorite and venerable old tree where you may have courted or were first mindful of the earth. ...
Pottawatomie County Commission / 06.09.2017
Arguing to Keep the Courthouse, Citizens for Courthouse Conservation “RoundTable” with Commissioners
A group interested in preserving the old Pottawatomie County Courthouse met with commissioners for a “roundtable discussion” at the Law Enforcement Center in Westmoreland last Tuesday night. In addition to the discussion participants, approximately 25 other community members were in attendance. The group had a prepared list of topics concerning the 1884 courthouse, most of which was generated from items brought up at a previous meeting. Ruby Zabel handled most of the questioning based on the document....
I just returned from a roundtable meeting held to discuss the fate of the existing native limestone Pottawatomie County courthouse. This building is the second-oldest courthouse in Kansas, built in 1884. At issue is the study, commissioned by the county commissioners, that includes an option for demolition of this historic building. ...
Editorial / 17.08.2017
Letter to the Editor
A gem exists in Pottawatomie County: the courthouse built in 1884. An amazing structure, stately and sturdy, it can continue serving future growth with skillful updating. At issue is a stated need for more office space and storage; B and G’s study suggests it is cheaper to raze, rebuild rather than restore. ...
Pottawatomie County Commission / 08.08.2017
County will answer Public Questions; Round-table meeting set
Public Works Director Peter Clark presented the commission with answers to 40-plus questions submitted during a July 6 forum to discuss the feasibility of including the courthouse in the county’s long-term facilities master plan. ...
Editorial / 01.08.2017
Historic Pott Co. Courthouse Threatened
Manhattan/Riley County Preservation Alliance, Newsletter August 2017 Manhattan-Riley County Preservation Alliance Newsletter August 2017, Vol. 23, Issue IVDownload ...
Editorial / 30.07.2017
HISTORIC OR JUST OLD? Inside the courthouse Pott County is considering razing
Stacks of old law books sit in the back of a courtroom on the second floor of the old Pottawatomie County Courthouse in Westmoreland. A shelf runs the length of the back wall and holds “Proof of Facts” books from the 1960s and ‘70s. The room is typically dark, warm and mostly empty. The volumes have sat unused so long they’re stuck to each other, squeezed tight in their space. “If we took the ceiling out, this here has an art ceiling,” said Scott Campbell pointing up at the drop ceiling with white tiles....
Pottawatomie County Commission / 26.07.2017
Courthouse Discussion
The commission agreed to have a roundtable discussion with members of a concerned citizens group to discuss the Pott. County Courthouse and other facets of a proposed long term Facilities Master Plan completed recently for the county. “Our intent is not to bring a bunch of angry people. We don’t need that,” said Ruby Zabel, a member of the citizen’s group. ...
The Pottawatomie County Courthouse is old, but does that make it worth preserving? County commissioners this week had an informational meeting at which an architect, Clint Hibbs of BG Consultants, told them that restoring and maintaining the 133-yearold Westmoreland building, the second oldest courthouse still in use in Kansas, would cost $3.64 million over 20 years. ...