A nearly 100 year-old courthouse in the city of Montrose, Colorado could soon be in line for a significant structural renovation.
Located at 320 1st Street, the Montrose County Courthouse was designed in the Classical Revival style by architect William Norman Bowman and completed in 1922.
It has for decades served as the home to a number of county administrative offices, but, according to officials, has long been in need of upgrading and repairs.
Now, members of the Montrose County Commission have given their approval to begin the design phase of the structure’s planned renovation, entering into a contract with the Boulder-based F&D International LLC for architectural and engineering services.
A larger general structural upgrading of the building is still in the offing, although plans and funding for that work have not yet been disclosed.
County officials estimate that when that work begins, which will require all of the departments using the building to relocate elsewhere, it could take up to two years to see completion.
The structure, made of stone blocks hauled by wagon from a quarry five miles outside of the city, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places list in 1994.
By Garry Boulard