I had my first visit to the Jefferson County Courthouse since the fire and restoration.
The job that was done with the records is amazing. I could not detect any evidence that
there had been a fire, although Janice Barnes at the Madison library think some find the
pages of old books a little more brittle. I didn't.
More importantly, all records were restored, not just deeds. Things like Miscellaneous
records which have incorporations, elections of church trustees, and other important
business records, the old mortgage books, everything was restored.
The other thing is that the recorders office (I didn't get to the circuit court
clerk's office) has been able to build modern shelving. Instead of having the deed and
other books standing vertical and squeezed into wooden cubbies, they are now lying flat in
spaces with rollers. You know longer have to do a balancing act to reach the top books.
I told the staff it was a big improvement "except it was a kind of a tough way to go
about renovating a room,"
Hats off to those responsible.