Washington County Courthouse exposed! Renovation images revealed

Quorum Court member Gary Carnahan in Judge Mary Ann Gunn's recently renovated courtroom.

Judge Mary Ann Gunn, displaced since spring 2009, is expected to move back into a renovated courtroom in August, Washington County Building Supervisor Ron Wood said.

The courtroom she once occupied has been restored as much as possible to its 1905 look, with the inclusion of some needed 21st Century gadgetry like a video projector and ethernet connections, said project architect John Dupree.

“We think it’s the largest courtroom in Arkansas,” Dupree added as he gave a tour to a few Washington County Quorum Court members Monday.

“This is something the folks of this county can continue to enjoy for the next 100 years,” he said.

The historic courthouse’s architectural significance is greater than that of the iconic Old Main on the University of Arkansas campus, Dupree said. The building is better made and showcases more of the traditional designs of the time, he said.

The Washington County courthouse renovation has been underway almost 18 months and appears to be on schedule and under the estimated $5 million cap earmarked for the project.

The money for the restoration came through the re-issuance of bond. Wood said the county has spent roughly $3 million at this point and the project is almost complete.

You may recall that Fayetteville lawyer Jim Rose filed suit against the county initially during a major construction campaign which included this renovation project and the multi-story parking deck.

That lawsuit forced the county to bid the projects out, as required by state law, rather than simply choose their contractor, ultimately saving the county millions of dollars.

U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln is expected to re-locate her offices in the courthouse, and the county archives will also return to the buillding.

Gunn is well-known for her drug court program that is broadcast on Jones TV. She has presided in a courtroom at the Terminella Building during the time that the renovation has been underway.

At the time she had to move out, Gunn made it clear to former County Judge Jerry Hunton that she expected to be returned to that courtroom once the renovation is complete.

Under state law, circuit judges are state employees but the county must provide facilities for them to work. The county judge, not the circuit judges, has final say on the location where they will preside.

County Judge Marilyn Edwards will honor Gunn’s request.

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