Lee County nearing wrap of Courthouse renovations

LEESBURG — Renovations to the Lee County Courthouse are expected to be completed next month — just in time for the historic building’s 100th anniversary celebration in July.

According to county officials, the courthouse restoration project is running about two weeks ahead of schedule. This week workers will continue using scaffolding and lifts to complete higher exterior brick work and restoration among the cracks and crevices surrounding the large clock and majestic dome above the main entrance at the center of the building.

“After that, pressure washing and landscaping is about all that is needed,” Lee County Co-manager Mike Sistrunk said Tuesday.

Renovations to the historic courthouse in downtown Leesburg began last October.

The scope of the project was to give the courthouse a facelift by cleaning and repairing metal eaves that had rusted over the years, replacing rotted wood beams, restoring age-line cracks in the mortar and bricks, touch-up painting and by fixing the magnificent golden dome that had warped and bent over the years.

The project was funded by a special-purpose local-option sales tax allocation using monies specifically designated for building restoration.

Last fall, Ohio-based Masonry Restoration Technologies and Services LLC, a company specializing in courthouse building restorations, was awarded the nearly $400,000 contract to complete the project. On Monday, MRST Project Manager Bill Walter will be in Leesburg to inspect and evaluate the progress of the renovation project, at which time county officials expect to receive an official estimated time for completion.

The courthouse is part Lee County’s overall master plan for revitalizing its downtown Leesburg historic district.

“With just two more months to prepare, this early completion is good news for our county,” Sistrunk said. “We can now shift our focus toward the great community celebration to commemorate the anniversary of our courthouse and the history of our town.”

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