Save Our Courthouse hires lawyer

By CYNTHIA AUKERMAN

News-Gazette reporter

The Save our Courthouse Committee has retained Gregory F. Hahn, a partner in the Indianapolis law firm of Tabbert, Hahn, Earnest and Weddle, to pursue legal means to protect the Randolph County Courthouse from demolition.

Save Our Courthouse spokesman Larry Francer said the group believes county commissioners must fulfill the special legislation that was granted by the state legislature to renovate the courthouse.

That legislation established a special tax for courthouse renovation, a tax that has been collected from county taxpayers for several years.

Francer said, "We would rather spend our money on the courthouse itself rather than on legal fees. However, if the commissioners don't rescind the demolition vote, we are willing to spend our money to force them to abide by the law passed to benefit the courthouse."

The Save Our Courthouse Committee, a local group, has worked closely with Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana to secure the preservation of the historic building.

The local group will continue its efforts to persuade county commissioners Drew Wright and Ron Chalfant to revoke their votes to tear down the courthouse.

In addition to pursuing legal means, the group will also take its case to the state legislature if local officials continue to pursue demolition of the courthouse.

Throughout the past several months of debate about the courthouse's fate, Save Our Courthouse and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana have brought in a series of experts to speak to commissioners about the economic value of preservation and the soundness of the building.

Francer said the educational effort will continue.

In addition to pursuing legal means to protect the courthouse, the Save Our Courthouse Committee will continue to seek the best professionals as resources for the county.

At one time, the commissioners voted to restore the courthouse and build an annex. While the county's architect produced a "footprint" of offices for the proposed annex, there was no rendering of what the exterior of the annex would look like. So Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana paid for an architect to prepare that rendering, which was presented at a commissioners' meeting.

Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana has also retained the services of a structural engineer to present a second opinion about the courthouse's soundness and the financial viability of renovation.