Courthouse repairs on track for July completion

TEXARKANA, Ark. — After 16 months of water damage repair, renovation and restoration, Miller County Courthouse is projected to be reopen by late July.

Freezing temperatures on Feb. 20, 2021, caused two interior courthouse water pipes to burst. One of those pipes was situated between the fourth and third floors, while the other one was on the second floor.

The water breaches caused widespread damage, starting from the third floor down to the basement.

Miller County Judge’s Administrative Assistant Carla Jenkins said there remains some floor tile work and ceiling work for the county prosecutor’s office, as well as some floor work for the extended hallway leading to the courthouse’s east basement entrance.

As for the interior basement stairway leading to the first floor, Jenkins said non-skid material eventually will be placed on the stairs. The stairway then will be cleaned, polished and re-painted.

Jenkins said the entire first floor’s original marble wall paneling and flooring will be cleaned and polished.

Regarding the first floor’s office area, Jenkins said the Treasurer’s Office will need re-flooring and wall painting, while the courthouse’s entire electrical system will be an ongoing replacement project. This will include vintage lighting.

As for the second floor, courtroom benches remain in the hallway as the floors are re-tiled, and the jury box chairs still need to be polished and reinstalled.

Jenkins said the upper floor will retain its 1939 style to preserve the character of the county building.

● Courtroom benches line the second floor Miller County Courthouse in this June 2022 photo. The seating was removed after the courthouse flooded Feb. 20, 2021, the result of pipes that burst during freezing weather. (Staff photo by Greg Bischof)