BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Final paperwork was signed by the Stoddard County Commission last week to obtain a grant for further rehabilitation of the cupola of the Stoddard County courthouse. The grant is being provided by the State Historic Preservation Office in the Department of Natural Resources.
The courthouse is included on the National Register of Historic Places. The grant requires a 40 percent match by the county -- $60,000 from the grant and $40,000 from the county. The commission approved expenditures of $40,000 in the 2017 budget to match the preservation grant.
The commission has already sought Requests for Qualifications from architectural firms, and retained Robert Stearnes and Associates of Sikeston, Mo., to draw up specifications.
Dale Rogers, a principal with Stearnes, was the architect for the first grant received by the county for courthouse restoration and was the only architect to submit qualifications for the newest project.
The list of renovations planned for the cupola include:
Removal of the deteriorated finish coating on the cupola's metal cladding; preparing services for new coating, including repairing any damaged material and repairing joints; removal, restoration and reinstallation of spire; removal, restoration and reinstallation of iron ladders, removal and replacement of all exterior sealants to match the historic color; and any site repairs and waste disposal needed as a result of construction.
In 2015, R.L. Persons Construction of Poplar Bluff, Mo., was awarded a contract at a cost of $118,500 for the first round of repairs to the cupola. Those repairs included structural repairs for the cupola framing and floors of the cupola and attic; new louver header and spire support; removal of wood louvers and replacement with wood louvers; installation of double-hung windows with the cupola; and new sheet metal flashings and sealants.
The schedule as prepared by the Historical Preservation Office indicates a projected bid opening date of Dec. 19, 2017, with work to begin early in 2018.