Wash. County receives project design award

Washington County was recently notified that they have been selected to receive an award through Preservation Idaho.

 The award comes following the completion of a new security entrance constructed to match the historic design of the Weiser courthouse, which was built in 1941.

 A ceremony, hosted by the Idaho Historic Preservation Council will be held Aug. 10 in Pocatello to honor the four recipients chosen to receive the award this year.

 The other three include The Avery Hotel, Longfellow Elementary School for its renovation and addition project and the Schick-Ostolasa Farmstead for its barn restoration, all of them located in Boise.

 Every year, through its “Orchids and Onions” program, an independent review committee selects entities or individuals for recognition of their positive contributions to historic preservation (Orchids) and to bring awareness to projects that have shown insensitivity to the state’s cultural history (Onions).

 “Well, I’m glad we weren’t an onion,” quipped Washington County Clerk Donna White who was crucial in the successful completion of the courthouse security entrance. “I don’t know who nominated us, but they reached out to Tony (Edmondson) and let him know, and he forwarded the email to me.” 

 White served as the point person between the county’s general contractor, Beniton Construction, and commissioners Nate Marvin, Lyndon Haines and Gordon Wilkerson throughout the secure entry project.

 Edmondson serves as chairman of the Weiser Architectural Preservation Committee and the Washington County Historical Commission.

 He too was selected for recognition this year for his work in preserving the area’s historical buildings and sites.

 The security entrance has been on the county’s list of priorities for some time, according to White and Haines.  

 The courthouse has apparently been lagging behind in security protocol.

 “Several of the courthouses already have security entries,” White said. “Canyon County has had one ever since I can remember, and Payette has one, too.”

 Haines added, “I guess as a county, we were behind a little bit compared to other counties, so the commissioners at the time talked about it and then, of course, COVID kind of put everything on pause. Then, when we came back from COVID, we started trying to get contractors. We went out to bid once, but nobody even bid on the project.”

 White said that contractors were booked solid due to stay-at-home policies mandated by many employers, resulting in an increase in home projects.

 “All the contractors were busy; people were at home and weren’t doing anything, so they remodeled,” she said. “And then, after COVID, prices went through the roof.”

 Haines said commissioners were expecting to spend between $700,000 and $800,000 to complete the project, but by the time they found a general contractor, the price had increased to around $1 million.

 Fortunately, the county received funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), an Act passed by the U.S. Legislature in response to the pandemic. The money was used to fund the bulk of the project that began in fall 2023 and was completed in late December 2023, early January 2024.

 The project provides enhanced security, the addition, located on the west side of the courthouse, equipped with an x-ray and metal detector intended to prevent bad actors from bringing weapons into the building. The measure aims to provide a greater degree of safety for visitors and employees.

 Initially, Beniton suggested a more economical proposal, but since the courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was important that the addition be done in a way that maintained its architectural integrity. Anything else may have jeopardized the building’s status.

 “Growing up here, I didn’t understand, but we’ve had people from the courts and others who have come here and they always tell us that our courthouse is one of the most beautiful ones in the state,” Haines said. “I guess that’s just something you take for granted, so we knew that if we were going to do this, we were going to do it right. 

 “The cheaper options were not options for us. We knew it was going to be something permanent and we didn’t want something that looked like it was slapped on the side of the building. We wanted to make sure that it matched the look of the building as a whole. So, regardless of the requirements as a listing on the national register, it was something we knew should be done.”

 Both Marvin and Haines said they would not be able to attend the Aug. 10 ceremony, but that Wilkerson will most likely make the trip to represent the county. Also planning on attending is Edmondson who was hesitant to comment about his selection by the committee to receive an award. He said that it was a complete surprise.

 “We think about historic preservation as protecting buildings and sites and that kind of thing, but at the end of the day, the reason we are trying to protect those is that they have some role in our history, whether that’s the person that designed the building or whether there was something important that took place there, but in reality, it’s about people,” he said. 

 “All of these sites, they are important because somebody or some group of people did something significant. 

 “And as I think about what I do here in our community, we have a cadre of fellow preservationists that work with me and I work with them, so I don’t think this award is just for me. It’s a combined effort. I just have a bigger mouth,” he said, grinning.