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Brooke again discusses razing old museum

WELLSBURG — The Brooke County Commission on Tuesday once again considered razing the former Miller’s Tavern to make room for a proposed expansion of the county courthouse.

Located at the corner of Main and Sixth streets, the building was constructed in 1797 and is said to have offered food and lodging to visitors sailing from Wellsburg to other cities on the nearby Ohio River. In the 1930s it became the Wellsburg Eagles Lodge and in 1973 it became home to the county’s museum until 2012, when the museum was moved to 704 Charles St.

Commission President Tim Ennis said the commissioners have consulted the Silling Group, a Charleston architectural firm, about razing the building to create more space for a proposed judicial annex that could bring the county’s magistrate and family court, prosecutor’s and probation office under one roof.

The commissioners said about $100,000 in county funds are spent on rent, utilities, security or other expenses for use of the third floor of the Progressive Bank building for the magistrate court offices, the prosecutor’s office at the Cross Law Office and the probation office in the courthouse annex building owned by the county.

Ennis added the commission also hasn’t resolved issues raised by the state Supreme Court about the magistrate court facilities, which are separate from the bank itself, violating state fire codes.

Ennis said the commissioners looked into renovating the former museum for the court facilities and other uses. But he said they found it would cost more than $1 million to meet state standards, including installing an elevator to make it handicap-accessible.

Ennis said the state Division of Culture and History has advised the commission to take certain steps before demolishing the building because it is on the National Register of Historic Places as part of Wellsburg’s Historic District.

He said such steps included an archaeological survey of the site. “They found some scraps of pottery, nothing significant,” he said.

Ennis said the commission could acknowledge the building’s history by posting photos of it inside the new addition and possibly by using its block foundation in the new structure.

He acknowledged the addition will have to be built above the floodplain to meet conditions set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Asked about funding for the addition, which has been estimated at more than $1 million itself, Ennis said the commission is considering various options, including a bond issue or loan.

Ennis said to address concerns about the magistrate court facilities, the commission has two options: to move the courthouse or to build the addition.

Ruby Greathouse, a member of the museum board, said most of the historic items from the old museum have been moved to the new location. She said if the building is to be razed, its sign; a flagpole dedicated to the late Anthony Cipriani, a member of the board; and marker indicating such should be relocated.

Greathouse said much of the building has been renovated over the years, reducing its value as an example of historic architecture.

But she said the nature of the building’s foundation has prevented the building from being heavily flooded, despite its close proximity to the river, and she would be sorry for it not to be used in some way.

Greathouse suggested the commission consider public input about potential new uses for the building.

In other business, the commission:

¯ Heard from Kim Crupe, a resident of Scenery Hill Road North, Wellsburg, who complained that since her street was re-addressed through the citystyle addressing effort, emergency crews and delivery personnel have had difficulty finding her home.

Mandated by the federal government, citystyle addressing was intended to make it easier for such personnel to locate homes by using mileage points in the new street numbers.

Brooke County Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Arthurs said on an incident when emergency crews were dispatched to Crupe’s home, the database used by 911 dispatchers hadn’t been updated with the new addresses but that since has been corrected.

Ennis agreed to meet with Crupe privately to determine why deliveries have been a problem.

¯ Appointed Janet Klein and Kenneth Lowmiller to serve on the Hammond Public Service District board. The two will serve the unexpired terms of Jack Krzywdik and Lloyd Van Horn, who have resigned. Remaining on the board is David McGowan, who was appointed with Krzywdik and Van Horn to serve on the board when its previous members resigned in close proximity in 2013.

The commissioners agreed to send a letter to Krzywdik and Van Horn thanking them for their service.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)

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