The Preston County Courthouse was undergoing restoration of the exterior stonework at the time of our visit. The sandstone exterior is severely water damaged. This phase includes cleaning and sealing of the stone and re-caulking of the joints, however, the exterior will need additional work. The exterior of the building has a unique sand stone exterior, which is beautiful, but, because of the absorptive nature of sandstone, the exterior walls are in poor condition. Some of the stonework has been falling off and needs to be replaced. We recommend cleaning and re-bronzing the windows of the building.
The
building has an automatic fire alarm system.
We recommend adding strobes to the system and adding horns and strobes
to the restrooms. The courthouse needs
lever handles and
The county received a grant to install solid wood doors into the courtroom, new video systems, new door hardware, and to add duress alarms and ballistic material for the family court and the magistrate court. The building still needs some additional security upgrades. The facility should have an entry-level screening using the existing walk-through metal detector and an x-ray machine. All perimeter exit doors should be secured by installing an audible alarm, magnetic contacts, and a crash bar.
The electrical system is adequate to serve the building. The mechanical system was evaluated by CMA engineering in October of this year. The report identifies the heating and cooling system as a two-pipe system with a gas fired boiler and a water-cooled chiller. The heated or chilled water is distributed throughout the building via fan coil units and air handlers. The report notes that the system is in poor condition because of the lack of chemical treatment in the distribution system. There is a potential of major leaks. The report recommends replacing the boiler, chiller, and coils in fan coil units and the air handler units because of possible contamination.
The jail building is in good condition. When the jail becomes available for use, we recommend installing new windows, repairing the leaks in the basement, and installing an enclosed stair tower on the rear of the building.
We recommend renovating the interior of the jail for storage and office space once the prisoners are moved to the regional jail system. The courthouse also needs more storage space. They are currently renting space. We recommend constructing a new 20,000 square feet annex for the family court judge and the magistrates, as well as for storage space.
Total cost: $5,881,320.