County courthouse marks 100 years

The Monroe County History Center literally has a piece of the county’s history. \nThey have several, in fact. \nSitting around the building’s two new exhibits are sections of the dome of the Monroe County courthouse before it was replaced. The entire courthouse underwent massive restoration in the 1980s. The repair was so intensive that the community had to fight to save it from being demolished.\n“I think it’s a piece of our heritage that would have been a shame to lose. Many counties have lost their original courthouses or their early courthouses,” said Jill Lesh, managing director of the Monroe County Historical Society. “This is a beautiful building and it’s made of local limestone.”\nOn May 21, the History Center debuted its two newest exhibits in honor of the 100th anniversary of the county courthouse, “100 Years Under the Fish” and “Life in 1908.” \n“100 Years Under the Fish” refers to the fish that tops the weather vane on the roof of the courthouse, and presents a timeline of the events since the courthouse’s construction, including the “Let’s Save It” campaign led by former County Commissioner Charlotte Zietlow in 1981.\n“Bit by bit, we saved it,” said Zietlow. “When I look back on this four-year process, I get tired.”\nZietlow said that when she took office in 1981, the courthouse was in shambles from top to bottom. Pieces of the ceiling were falling to the floor and the basement was full of raw sewage. County officers were scattered all over the city, and there was no computer network to connect them. The County Commission voted down two petitions to restore the courthouse.\n“Then they voted down the third one and said, ‘come back only when you have a comprehensive solution to this daunting problem,’” Zietlow said. “I actually read this, it was in the minutes, ‘Sell it, tear it down, or give it away.’”\nIn response, Zietlow created the “Let’s Save It” campaign. She rallied the community, raising funds and circulating petitions to save the courthouse. They sold T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers to raise a grand total of $11,000. Their efforts fell drastically short of the $2 million needed to complete the building’s construction, but the community finally won the commission over and they approved plans to restore the courthouse.\nSince then, more improvements have been made on the courthouse by current County Commissioner Joyce Poling. Lighting has been improved and the inside murals restored.\n“The courthouse is the jewel of the community,” said Poling, who also used to be president of the Historical Society. “We appreciate all the work the Historical Society has done to preserve our history.”\nAs the county residents, mostly elderly, wandered through the exhibits, exchanging stories and showing each other pictures, the importance of the courthouse became clear.\n“When all was said and done, we saved it,” said Zietlow. “And when I say we, it was the community.”\nIt’s like the old saying goes: You don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been.