Executive Summary

Upshur County

The Upshur County courthouse was constructed in 1899 and renovated in 1970. The building is on the Historic Register. It is a two story structure of approximately 23,000 square feet. The exterior walls of the courthouse are in good condition with very minimal water damage to the mortar. There are no visible cracks in the brick. There are indications that there have been a few repairs made to some damaged mortar. The foundation is constructed of stone and shows no evidence of settlement.

The roof was replaced around ten years ago. The roof is in generally good condition; however, there is a leak near the front entrance that should be repaired. The windows were replaced around 1980 and are in good condition.

A handicap accessible entrance is available through the annex, and a sky way connects the annex to the main courthouse. The handicap accessible restrooms on the second floor of the courthouse and in the annex met all ADA requirements. We recommend installing an ADA elevator to access the first and second floors of the original courthouse. A lift should also be installed to the witness stand and judge’s bench.

There is no sprinkler system and the stairs are not enclosed by fire rated walls and doors. Since the building is registered as a National Historic Structure, we recommend enclosing the stairs on the second floor level and installing a sprinkler system.

Since there is evidence of cracking around the front entrance, we recommend that a structural engineer be consulted for further evaluation of the cracking near the front entrance.

To improve security, we recommend that the facility 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. A security system should also be installed.

The annex was built in 1995, and, as such, has few problems at this time. Security is an issue. We recommend restricting all access to the main entrance of the annex, installing a magnetometer and X-ray machine, installing a security system, and installing ballistic material in the bench at the magistrate courtroom.

More storage space for documents is needed. The former jail is being used for the Emergency Communications Center and the Home Confinement program. The second floor is available for storage. We recommend converting the second floor of the former jail to a storage area for documents from the courthouse. In addition, we recommend adding 5000 square feet of storage space for storage of documents.

Total cost: $748,200.

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