Clayton County Courthouse preservation continues

ELKADER - The bell on the clock of the historic Clayton County Courthouse in Elkader should be ringing again sometime this fall.

The restoration of the clock is just one part of a larger courthouse project, which, when complete, could cost close to half a milion dollars and take six years.

The Clayton County Courthouse was built in 1867 and 1868; an addition was completed betwen 1877 and 1878. In 1896, the wooden clock tower was added to the structure, expanding the height of the building an additional 45 feet. The structure is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Although the E. Howard No. 1 striker clock is considered to be in fair to good condition, components were worn and some parts were broken, including the strike winding pinion and internal key and pulley. The tower is also in need of repair because of deterioration of the wood and the roof. All four clock faces are also due to be rehabilitated.

The project was estimated to cost between $262,000 to $432,0000 depending on what elements the commission elected to have restored. 'There is a lot of repair work yet to be done,” said Gary Goyette, a Restoration/Preservation consultant from Guttenberg. 'If we do all of the architects recommendations, it would be the higher figure.”

In the summer of 2013, the clock mechanism and hands were removed by Rory DeMesey of Mechanical Watch Supply in Minneapolis, Minn. The parts were transported to his shop where they have been repaired. When the mechanism is re-installed later this year, the hope is to install the hands as well.

Then the bell will again be able to chime out the hour.

The list of restorations yet to be done is long including all work from the top of the courthouse roof to the top of the weather vane on the bell room roof, including replicating and replacing large, original, architectural trim, missing from the clock face and bell room roofs.

The tower base room was completed this summer, but the clock room, bell room have yet to be done. The widows walk roof deck needs to be replaced and the balustrade repaired and repainted.

The electrical system also needed to be updated. Some of that work has been done. It will be completed once once the mechanism is installed, said Clayton County Historic Preservation Commission Chairperson Ellen Collins.

'We knew from the start that this would be a long process, maybe at least five or six years,” Collins said.

They've been able to reuse some elements to retain historical accuracy.

'The original glass from the original courthouse windows, removed from the courthouse in the 1990s, was used in the restoration of the tower room base windows completed this summer,” Collins said. 'Re-use of historic glass from the courthouse is in keeping with good preservation practice and has a positive effect on reviewers for historic preservation grants.”

Money for the clock repair itself came from a $32,000 REAP/Historic Resources Development Program grant which came through the Department of Cultural Affairs and the State Historical Society of Iowa. Clayton County provided $16,433 in matching funds for the project.

'We plan to get the minute digits and numerals done next and we are working on grants and donations for that part of the project,” Collins said. 'The original brass or bronze ones were replaced by wooden ones. We would like to use the originals on the clock faces, but no one knows what happened to them, so if anyone knows anything about them we would deeply appreciate hearing from them. If we can't find them, we will have metal ones made for the restored clock faces. Grants are also being worked on for the roof rehabilitation and the rehabilitation and repair of the metal bell roof.”