Polk County Courthouse demolishing non-historic elements

LIVINGSTON, Texas (KTRE) - The Polk County Courthouse has begun the demolition phase of its reconstruction project.

It is the the courthouse’s 100th year, and Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy said it’s finally getting the facelift it deserves.

“The whole idea is to try to maintain the integrity of the original building,” Murphy said.

Contractors are removing non-historic elements of the building, which “also allows them to chip paint off of the walls to see what the original colors were,” said Murphy.

For the last three years, several offices have been relocated and will be returning to the courthouse once construction is complete.

Murphy also said having a historic courthouse impacts the local economy. “It becomes an attraction that creates more development, and it becomes the heart and center of your county seat.”

The renovation will make new room for district court, county commissioner meetings and visiting judges. “That will allow our judicial system to operate more smoothly and not create log jams anywhere in there,” said Murphy.

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