Portraits of several of Warren County’s president judges that have been on display in the Main Courtroom at the Warren County Courthouse have been returned and rehung after a careful cleaning and restoration. Rehanging the portraits brings to a close the rehabilitation efforts undertaken in the space this year.

Earlier this year the Warren County commissioners approved a $14,720 contract to clean and preserve the paintings. Money was available because the plaster/painting project in the courtroom came in under budget, meaning the preservation of the paintings fit into the initial project budget.

“We were significantly under project cost,” county grantwriter Josh Cotton said during an August Warren County Commissioners meeting. “So, we’re looking at a second contract with them to restore the paintings of the judges that go around the room. Some of them are in excess of 125 years old. The frames are in decent shape.”

Also this week, the second phase of restoration outside the Warren County Courthouse began. In July the commissioners approved a bid from Graciano Restoration of Pittsburgh for $720,902 to undertake the work. . A project completed several years ago rehabilitated the roof and completed some painting. The rest of the painting as well as masonry repair around the building are the primary scope of this project. The Graciano Corporation will be working this fall as the weather permits and will return to finish the work in the spring, according to a Facebook post by the commissioners.

Pictures of several of Warren County’s president judges have been returned and rehung after cleaning and restoration.

The Warren County Courthouse opened for the December 1877 term at a total cost of $97,434.59, $85,000 of which was borrowed from the Rouse Fund. Furnishing the courthouse in 1877 cost roughly $6,000. Additions to the courthouse were made in 1916 and 1925 and additional major renovations completed in 1942.

Pictures taken prior to 1941 of the main courtroom reveal a chandelier and four fireplaces for heat, as well as ceiling fans and an upright piano located near the entrance to the attorney’s room to the east of the bench. The courthouse saw a significant renovation again in 1963 that was more of a modernization that occurred at the height of the Cold War when the prospect of nuclear war was, or was at least perceived to be, a realistic possibility. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.