Major renovations underway at Scott County's historic courthouse and campus

BENTON, Mo. — Ongoing exterior repairs of the Scott County Courthouse continue as additional renovations recently started on the campus in Benton.

According to Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley, the courthouse was already in need of maintenance, but several severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the spring further damaged the structure.

Tetley said the repairs have been ongoing since early summer in 2024 and are expected to be long-term, taking several more months to complete.

“Most of this damage was caused by the tornado that hit here (in Benton) in April,” Tetley said. “It just took a while to get the contractors here and start the work process.”

In recent months, workers have been disassembling the damaged parts of the courthouse while making repairs, which is why scaffolding has surrounded the building, according to Tetley.

Tetley said the repairs will take some time because they are upgrading the terra cotta, or decorative trim, around the top of the building.

“We still have a lot of work to do here on the courthouse,” Tetley said.

Tetley estimated it will be another year before the exterior repairs are completed. Once the exterior work is finished, they plan to begin interior renovations.

“On the inside, we plan to fix sheetrock stains where water has entered the building,” Tetley said. “We will be replacing those and fixing the damage, but that won’t be until after all the exterior work is done and the water leakage has stopped.”

According to Tetley, the courthouse is 112 years old and in need of repairs even before the tornado.

This week, renovations began inside the Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and ground was broken for the new judicial building.

“The new building is going in the parking lot right at the end of the sheriff’s office,” Tetley said

Tetley said the new building will consist of two courtrooms and offices for the circuit clerk’s staff.

Effective Thursday, Feb. 13, the Scott County Sheriff’s Office will be temporarily closed due to construction, according to Sheriff Derick Wheetley.

“This is part of the ongoing project to build a new judicial building, which includes the remodeling of both the Sheriff’s Office and Division 5 court,” the sheriff said in a post on the Scott County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page Tuesday, Feb. 11.

The Sheriff’s Office remodel is expected to take approximately six months.

“During this time, services typically provided at the Sheriff’s Office, including CCW (concealed carry weapons) and UTV (utility vehicle) permits, as well as the sex offender registry, will be relocated to the front lobby of the jail,” Wheetley said in the post. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.”

Signage will be posted to help direct visitors to the appropriate locations. All normal office activities will resume in the jail lobby on Tuesday, Feb. 20 following Presidents’ Day.