Renovated historic Manatee courthouse to be unveiled Wednesday

MANATEE -- The final piece of the Manatee County Historic Courthouse restorations will be unveiled this week.

The original 1913 courtroom, which occupies parts of the second and third floors, has been undergoing restoration since January.

Workers with Halfacre Construction Co. of Sarasota have been putting the finishing touches on the $1 million restoration of the county's largest courtroom. At 11 a.m. Wednesday, the public can join current and retired judges, elected officials and others in the grand reopening at 1115 Manatee Ave. W.

The restoration was able to "preserve a little piece of history," said Christine Clyne, a director with the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. "To see it restored to its original grandeur is quite something."

New terrazzo floors were installed and new drywall went up in the 25-foot-high courtroom, as well as new electrical wiring, air conditioning and lighting. And 22 refinished pews from the original courtroom were reinstalled.

"We didn't know a whole lot about what the courtroom looked like because we had no photographs of it, so we had to be detectives," said Cathy Slusser, county director of historical resources. "When the 1970s wall coverings were taken down, we were able to see the colors that had been in the courtroom. And when the flooring was pulled up, we were able to see the outlines of the original jury benches and the judge's desk, so we were able to know what had been

there before the modernization had taken place."

Outside the third-floor courtroom entrance, a small museum will hold display cases of courtroom artifacts and a timeline of changes that have taken place in the Historic Courthouse and downtown Bradenton.

"It will be dedicated to telling the story of the courthouse and the courthouse grounds and governmental history of Manatee County," Slusser said. "So we are excited about the opportunity to portray how the courthouse has changed over time and how the uses of the courthouse have changed as well."

Many people think of a courthouse as a static institution, Slusser said.

"Things both culturally and legally have changed and we want to try to portray some of that," she said. The museum is "a way to step back into time to understand the differences in the community over time."

In the old days, the color of a gumball would dictate which judge would preside over a case.

"We went from needing only one courtroom to 19," Slusser added.

When Manatee County opened a new judicial center in 2008, renovations to the Historic Courthouse began. Between 2008 and 2014, nearly $9 million was invested in the building, according to a county document. Exterior renovations began in 2011 and lasted 15 months. Those renovations should reduce energy costs by more than 50 percent. In 2014, the county rededicated the courthouse.

The courtroom will be used for public events and ceremonies and a possible set for filming movies, Slusser said, adding it could be used for court cases since it is fully functional.

They are working with Realize Bradenton on courtroom tours.

"We are just really excited about it," Slusser said.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published July 12, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Renovated historic Manatee courthouse to be unveiled Wednesday ."