Marshall County Courthouse rededicated more than four years after catastrophic tornado
More than four years after an EF-3 tornado ravaged buildings throughout downtown Marshalltown, including the historic courthouse, Marshall County on Saturday rededicated the restored building, opening its doors to the public for the first time since the storm.
Over 100 visitors crowded into the second-floor rotunda for the event. Officers from the Grand Lodge of Iowa A.F. & A.M., a freemason organization, led the ceremony, which was followed by speeches by architects and Marshall County officials involved in the renovation.
More:Three years after devastating tornado, McGregors Furniture is back in downtown Marshalltown
"This is not a story of resilience of one building. It's the story of community commitment to each other, to your past and your future," Scott Allen, the architect for the renovation, said during the ceremony.
When the July 19, 2018, tornado hit Marshalltown, its 100-plus mph winds damaged the dome atop the courthouse, a building on the National Register of Historic Places, and toppled the spire above it. The building's fallen cupola and chimneys broke three fire sprinkler lines, resulting in up to 16,000 gallons of water flooding the east half of the courthouse's interior.
The rest of the exterior also sustained heavy damage. The grand, old French Victorian structure sits at the heart of the city, rivaled only by the former Tallcorn Hotel as downtown's most imposing building, and to see it battered by the storm made the tornado's wreckage all the more heartbreaking for Marshalltown residents.
More:'He said run! and we ran': Iowa tornado ravages Marshalltown downtown. State of emergency declared
Iowa State Rep. Sue Cahill, D-Marshalltown, said that she'd seen how people viewed the courthouse in her work as a teacher at the city's Woodbury Elementary School.
"I'd talk about coming downtown and reference the courthouse. And the kids would say, 'Oh, do you mean the castle?' And, in a way, it is like a castle," Cahill said. "The courthouse is a symbol of our community and I'm so proud to be a part of it. I'm honored to witness the ceremony, the care and the dedication that brings the courthouse back to us."
Since the tornado, only some Marshall County employees had been allowed in the building during repairs. The renovation process began with blasting hot air to dry water-damaged areas. In early 2020, a new dome was placed atop the courthouse. A scaffolding system was then built around the courthouse so workers could install rose-tinted windows and other final touches.
Greg Lettington, vice president of field operations at Breiholz Construction Co., said sections of the fourth floor and all of the fifth floor have yet to be restored. He estimated the work will be complete by February or March.
Exterior renovations, like the planting of shrubs and decorative additions to the spire, may take longer, but Lettington said he expects them to be done by the end of spring.
The cost will total about $42 million, with around $33 million coming from the building's insurance and $9 million allocated by Marshall County, said Nann Benson, the county auditor and recorder. The original estimate for repairs after the tornado was $15.5 million.
"It was undervalued," Benson said. "They didn't have a clue what they were looking at. They didn't understand historical architecture."
More:Iowa storms: Disaster declared; Pella, Marshalltown tornadoes rated an EF-3; Bondurant rated EF-2
The Nov. 19 date for the rededication was not chosen by chance. The courthouse was first dedicated on Nov. 19, 1886, and rededicated on the same date in 1978 after a renovation and modernization. It also fell on the same day as the 2022 edition of the annual Holiday Stroll through downtown Marshalltown, with a parade, carnival, holiday decorations and entertainment adding to the festivities.
“Being able to do it on that date coinciding with another celebration is going to be very nice. A lot of people will be downtown already,” Lucas Baedke, buildings and grounds director for the county, told county supervisors as they planned the event.
Nina Baker is a news reporter at the Des Moines Register. She can be reached at NBaker@gannett.com or on Twitter @Nina_M_Baker.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Marshall County Courthouse rededicated after extensive tornado repairs
