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Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 19:05:32 -0500
From: Jerry Berggren <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: Berggren & Woll Architects
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Economic impact
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I've been on the list for well over a year, quitely reading the
mountains of information.  I guess it is time to offer a little insight.
I've been studying Historic County Courthouse all of my life, having
grown up in the shadows of a magnificent c. 1895 Richardson Romanesque,
eight story Courthouse on the plains of Nebraska.  Truly a landmark, it
can be seen on the horizon for many miles outside of my home town.  I'm
convinced this structure lead me to become a preservation architect.
I've had the good fortune of working on a significant number of them
since our first courthouse restoration work funded by the 1983 Jobs
Bill.

Someone has all ready said that they do not believe that a study exists
such as you have requested.  I tend to agree, or I think I would have
found it.  However, there are some places you might research.

One of the oldest sources of Historic County Courthouse preservation
information is the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 1976
publication "A Courthouse Conservation Handbook", out of print now, but
available in a number of architecture libraries.  If you are into a
search, its ISBN number is 0-89133-036-4.

The American Institute of Architects, Historic Resources Committee and
the Committee on Architecture for Justice have a number of publications
with some information regarding the value of Historic Courthouses.  The
Justice Committee deals with the broad spectrum of that type of
architecture and only touches the historic issues in small sections of
their publications "Courthouse Design".  The first was published after
the First International Conference on Courthouse Design in 1993.  A
Second International Conference has been held and that publication is
also available.  The Third International Conference is planned this fall
in Toronto.  A publication will follow that conference as well.

The Historic Resource Committee also deals with the broad spectum of
preservation which often involves Historic Courthouses.  The issue
became the focus for "The Historic County Courthouse Conference" held
last fall in Cincinatti.  The proceeding are published and available
from the AIA, as are the Justice publications.  The most direct way to
acquire any of these publications is calling the Director of the
Historic Resources Committee, at 202-626-7418.  The address is:

        Director, Historic Resources Committee
        American Institute of Architecture
        1735 New York Avenue, NW
        Washington DC, 20006

The Historic Resources Committee has also sponsored presentions of
issues surrounding the preservation of Historic Courthouses at their own
National Convention, the Annual Conference of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation (in Texas, 1995) and at the International Facility
Managers Association, "World Work Place- 1995".  I was also able to
bring the presentation to Nebraska for the annual Main Street Conference
in 1996.  I believe most of these presentations were taped and could be
acquired by contacting the various organizations.

One of the most promising means to assure continued use of an Historic
Courthouse is via a sympathic Judge....sounds like an oxymoron, but they
do exist.  Judge Biggs of Alabama....the town escapes me, is a primary
mover in the efforts to restore the local courthouse...his courthouse
true, but also the model for the set of "To Kill A Mockingbird".  A
local Arraignment Court Judge....his name escapes me, insisted on using
Jackson County's Historic Courthouse for his courtroom. The work effort
necessary to return a courtroom to this facility required some
restoration which included alot of his own elbow grease.  All other
County Courts are in downtown Kansas City, MO while he presides in the
Courthouse where Harry Truman once served.  In the Cincinatti
Conference, a couple of Judges made some great presentations on the
value of the architecture of the Historic Courthouses in dispensing
Justice.  If you are sent "up the river" you should atleast feel like
you were treated with an appropriate amount of respect!

I hope I have given you some ideas as to a direction for reaseach and
some hope that you'll find something.  If you have a specific situation,
please elaborate, and maybe I'll have an example for you to use.

GOOD LUCK!

Jerry Berggren, AIA
Berggren & Woll, Architects