17 May Courthouse Preservation

(Pott. County Commission Meeting, May 15, 2017) | The Manhattan Mercury

The commissioners heard a plea from Dorothy Campbell, a long-time Westmoreland resident, to preserve the county courthouse. “Once you tear down these stone buildings that are historic, they’re gone forever,” Campbell told commissioners. “I think our courthouse is like the people of Westmoreland—plain and sturdy and it will stand forever.” Razing the 1884 courthouse and replacing it with a new consolidated office building was the recommended scenario (one of six) proposed in a 20-year Master Facilities Plan completed recently by BG Consultants. Campbell said she is looking into starting a petition to save the courthouse and also suggested the commission allow county voters to decide the structure’s future. “We appreciate the input, we really do,” Commission Chairman Pat Weixelman told Campbell. “We’ve got a lot to study.”