Wirt County Summary

The Wirt County courthouse was built in 1911. It is overall in good condition. The building has three stories plus an attic. The small third floor is used only for storage. A walkway connects the second floor of the courthouse to the jail. The walkway appears structurally unsound and should be removed to prevent access.

The walls are brick on a stone foundation. The mortar was repaired around five years ago. There is a moisture problem which could stem from several sources. The flat roof has evidence of leakage and should be replaced. The doors and windows are in poor condition and should be replaced with historically correct profiles.

The building has a fire alarm system, a sprinkler system, and emergency lighting. The second floor has only one means of egress. The court room also has only one exit. The only set of stairs is not enclosed by fire rated walls and doors. A second means of egress should be added for the second floor with an enclosed stair tower. This will also cover the courtroom.

The courthouse has security cameras and a metal detector which is not in use. The metal detector for the first floor should be moved to the front entrance and an X-ray machine should be added. The courthouse also needs entry control at the other entrances to limit public access.

The electrical system was replaced during the last renovation. The HVAC system is around four years old and is in good shape.

The building needs a few upgrades to be ADA compliant. We recommend the accessible parking space sign and symbol be added. The doorknobs should be changed to levers on all doors. The signage in the corridors needs to be added. We recommend the accessible restrooms be brought up to ADA code compliance with insulation on the piping and proper height toilets.

There is a need for additional office and storage space. There are no offices or courtrooms for the family law master and no offices for the probation officers, mental hygiene commissioner, home confinement officer, and others. All offices have older documents stored in the attic and a small third floor area. These areas are inaccessible and not fit for proper storage. We recommend an 11,000 square feet annex be built for the county to be used for offices and storage.

The two story jail is currently in the process of reconstruction for use as office space and temporary holding cells. Any problems with the structure or the building should be addressed during the renovations.

The total estimated cost for the courthouse projects is $2,144,460.

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