Work aimed to bring back historic feel of facility

By Sheila Harris [email protected]

Renovations to the historic Barry County courtroom are complete.

County officials are inviting the public to an Open House in the courtroom at the Historic Barry County Courthouse on the Cassville Square Thursday to see a rejuvenated piece of the county’s history.

Jeff Myers Construction completed the renovation work.

“We restored the courtroom to its original form by raising the ceilings back up, opening the balcony area, and letting the natural light shine in,” said Joyce Ennis, county clerk. “We repurposed as many of the original elements as we could, including some old swinging doors. We couldn’t match the original globe lights, which were probably milk glass, so we went with what was available on those.”

Ennis said the original paint color was anybody’s guess, so they opted to use a shade of light taupe, with white window trim and white balcony railings, with red, white and blue bunting accents. Plenty of historic photos from the county will also be on display on the courtroom walls, courtesy of the Barry County Museum.

The effect is stunning: a setting that can be used to host future county events, Ennis said.

Refreshments will be served Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.