March 24, 2023 |
Photo – South Entrance to Carbon County Courthouse – by Matt Copeland of Bigfoot99
The newly remodeled Carbon County Courthouse will open next month, following 14 months of work. The work has transformed the historic late 1930’s building to enhance the original stair wells and other spaces while adding modern touches to offices.
Photo – Courthouse stairwell – by Matt Copeland
Local media outlets were given a sneak peek this week. County Clerk Gwen Bartlett led reporters on a tour, more than a month and a half before the official Grand Re-opening on May 12th. The remodel is functionally complete, with most of the offices already occupied. Bartlett said the courthouse overhaul is part of a larger refresh of county buildings paid for by the 6th Penny Tax.
The Carbon County Courthouse was built between 1938 and 1940. The idea of the project was to bring the 80-year-old building up to modern standards without sacrificing its old-fashioned styling. Bartlett said she was thankful citizens chose to allow the county to collect money for the much-needed upgrades.
Visitors to the Carbon County Courthouse now enter through the south lobby and pass through a newly installed metal detector and baggage scanner before being allowed to continue into the building.
The Sheriff’s Office is back in the courthouse. The law enforcement agency was shoehorned into the county jail when the remodel began. What was once the land records office and County Commissioners meeting room, has been completely redone to give the Sheriff’s Office its own space. Sheriff Alex Bakken said he is happy with his new office.
Photo – Sheriff’s office – by Matt Copeland
Before the remodel, the public defender, county attorney, and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation officers were located in the Carbon Building. Now, all the county’s criminal justice activities will be under one roof. Two newly constructed holding cells will house inmates while they wait to see a judge. Bartlett said the Wyoming Supreme Court provided $100,000 in grant funding to bolster security for the building.
Photo – Holding cells – by Matt Copeland
The circuit court room has been drastically remodeled. Originally on the first floor, the entire circuit court has been moved up to the second floor and given much more space. The old circuit court room was much smaller, with a pillar in the middle of the room. Despite being a completely new room, the circuit court still retains the 1940’s light fixtures. Bartlett said the old lights were in storage for nearly two decades.
Photo – Circuit courtroom – by Matt Copeland
A picture of a light fixture will be on the Bigfoot99 website. Bartlett said glass globes that attach to the bottom of the lights won’t be put in place until after work is complete. No one wanted to risk breaking one of the five remaining original globes during construction.
Photo – Original light fixture – by Matt Copeland
The circuit court offices are located where the county clerk and title departments used to be. Court records are stored in large rolling shelving units. The district court and county attorney offices also contain the same type of movable shelves. Bartlett said floors needed to be reinforced to handle the weight of all the documents.
On the 3rd floor, the district court room is basically unaltered. Bartlett said everything remained the same besides technology upgrades and some repurposed rooms.
The county attorney’s office occupies the entire 4th floor and is only accessible by the public via the elevator. Bartlett said the county jail used to be on the top floor. She said it was difficult to remove the cell bars when the remodel began.
Most the county’s legal work will be done in the courthouse. Bartlett said management duties will remain in the Carbon Building Courthouse Annex.
No changes were made to the exterior of the building and landscaping will wait until after the snows melt.
The courthouse remodel balances the original mid-20th century architectural aesthetic with modern office space needs and designs. The main hallways will retain the original multi-colored tiles and marble wainscotting while modern glass and metal partitions guide visitors to their destination. The elevators have been refurbished but remain true to the pre-war design. The entire building has been given a fresh coat of paint. What could be salvaged from the past has been cleaned and returned to where it was.
Photo – Original flooring – by Matt Copeland
The Carbon County Courthouse grand re-opening is Friday, May 12th, at 11:00 am. The address is 415 West Pine Street, in Rawlins. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided.
