Severe weather damages Scott County Courthouse

Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley, right, and James Keleman with Staat Tuckpointing and Waterproofing of St. Louis, Missouri, discuss the exterior damage of the Scott County Courthouse while standing in front of the 112-year-old building Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Benton, Missouri. (Leonna Heuring/Standard Democrat)

BENTON, Mo. — After receiving damage from last month’s strong storm systems that moved through the region, exterior repairs are underway at the Scott County Courthouse in Benton.

According to Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley, the recent damage to the courthouse occurred on Election Day, which was April 2, when several severe thunderstorms and tornadoes made their way through the region.

“A tornado went over Benton,” Tetley said. “It threw a small storage shed about 15 or 20 feet up in a tree behind the courthouse. It pulled the back wall of the courtroom away from the rest of the building, about three or four inches at the top.

A temporarily repaired back wall of the Scott County Courthouse in Benton, Missouri, is seen Thursday, May 23, 2024. (Submitted Photo)

Tetley continued: “And then the terra-cotta, the part that looks like decorative trim around the front of the building started falling. And we were afraid if a big chunk of it fell, it would hit somebody in the head it and it would really hurt them.”

Tetley said the county hired a company to install safety scaffolds in front of the courthouse to protect those entering the building by catching any falling debris. Due to the courthouse being 112 years old, a historical restoration masonry specialist company, Staat Inc., was brought in on Monday, May 20 to assess the damage and begin repairs.

Tetley said initially he thought the terra-cotta was just decorative trim, but it actually serves an important structural purpose. 

Scott County Presiding Commissioner Danny Tetley, right, and James Keleman with Staat Tuckpointing and Waterproofing of St. Louis, Missouri, discuss the exterior damage of the Scott County Courthouse while standing in front of the 112-year-old building Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Benton, Missouri. (Leonna Heuring/Standard Democrat)

“The company that is fixing the terra-cotta told us that it is a very important structural part of the building so it needs to be fixed,” Tetley said. 

While the back wall of the courthouse has not yet been officially repaired, the terra-cotta repairs began on May 20, Tetley said. The county commissioners do not know when the work on the courthouse will be completed, he said. The commission hopes the county’s insurance will cover the cost of the courthouse, he said.

“We have to fix the courthouse regardless,” Tetley said.