Courthouse’s old blocks will go to highest bidder
PIECES OF HISTORY /
NEWARK — Bids are being accepted through mid-month for a little piece of Licking County history.
Or perhaps not so little, considering some of the pieces weigh hundreds of pounds and likely will require a truck for transport.
Officials are selling a pile of cut sandstone blocks that helped to hold up the Licking County Courthouse for more than 140 years. The stones were removed from the area where a new elevator was installed as part of recent courthouse renovations.
The single lot is listed on GovDeals.com, the website the Licking County commissioners use to sell surplus, forfeited/confiscated and other items, to the highest bidder. The opening price is $50, and bids will be accepted through the evening of Jan. 15.
The blocks are various sizes and shapes, some 2 to 3 feet long, said Court Administrator David Edelblute.
“They weigh a lot,” he said, adding that county officials had no idea how much the sale might bring.
Such historic stones are popular in landscaping or for building projects. Rudy Christian, a Wooster-area man active in restoring timber frame and other historic structures, said stone foundation pieces that are 3- to 4-feet long can sell for $150 or more each.
And the blocks aren’t as easy to come by as in years past, he said.
“I think more people are starting to realize the value of historic buildings as what they are rather than as a source for materials,” he said. “We’re finding a lot more opportunities to work on historic buildings that bring them back into useful condition” rather than demolishing them.
The $8.5 million renovation of the Licking County Courthouse is in its final stages, with finish work being completed and a walk-through set for this month, Edelblute said.
If you’re in the market for bigger sandstone blocks, you might be in luck. Pam Jones, deputy clerk for the Licking County commissioners, said officials plan to sell stones from the former children’s home at some point this year.
—Rudy Christian