Carter County employees moving into new courthouse after historic flooding in 2017

VAN BUREN, Mo. — Carter County, Missouri, employees are relocating to their new, larger building. The new structure will house not only the sheriff's office and jail cells, but also all court offices, including the clerk, assessor, collector, treasurer and prosecuting attorney, according to Carter County Clerk Debi Reynolds.

The newly constructed courthouse at 1122 Main St. in Van Buren is just a short distance from the former historical cobblestone courthouse they were forced to move from after major flooding in 2017.

Information was not available Friday afternoon, April 28, as to which offices will have completed the move by Monday morning, May 1.

Mary Godsey, Carter County court clerk, expressed her excitement about getting settled into the new facility. The court staff has been forced to move several times since being displaced after the flooding.

"We struggled from the beginning — no electric, no cellphones, no water. They had to bring in refrigerated trucks because the records had to be kept on ice to keep from deteriorating," Godsey said.

She remembered the National Guard coming in to assist during the disastrous event.

The court staff has been working out of the old Main Street Market building for about two years. Godsey said the location was difficult to work out of, especially during COVID-19, because of the small size of the building.

In the new building, they will have plenty of space to work comfortably and efficiently, staff members said.

The former Carter County (Missouri) Courthouse is the only courthouse in the state to be built with cobblestones.Misty DeJournett ~ Daily American Republic

The former Carter County (Missouri) Courthouse is the only courthouse in the state to be built with cobblestones.Misty DeJournett ~ Daily American Republic

The move to the new facility was not without challenges, but the community came together to help.

Carter County Judge Steven Lynxwiler supplied his own truck and trailer, and the east and west side Carter County road and bridge crews also assisted in the move. The District 25 Probation and Parole Community Supervision Center lent a hand, according to Probation and Parole officer Joe Bearden.

Vicki Smart, an assistant with the county collector's office, said she is looking forward to occupying the new space.

"It will be nice to finally have the government offices together," Smart said.

Reynolds, who just came into office in January, said she is excited about the new building partly because in the former location she was isolated from everyone, "and that's just not me. I like to be where the people are."

The sheriff's office does not have a timeline as to when employees will start to occupy their space in the facility, according to sheriff's clerk Kendra Payne. But with the move of the court staff and county workers already underway, the sheriff's office is expected to soon follow.

Despite the fact the staff was not fully moved in, the Carter County Court was in session in the new courtroom Friday morning.

The new courthouse represents a significant investment to the infrastructure of Van Buren and stands to serve the community for many years to come, according to officials.