Take a look inside the stripped-down old courthouse in Jackson

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to remove incorrect information about the clock's origin.

The former Cape Girardeau County Courthouse in Jackson is stripped down.

Demolition crews began ripping apart the interior of the building in March. Penzel Construction workers removed drywall and dropped ceilings, even all the electric infrastructure and ductwork.

What remains is largely the brick and stonework from 1908 and a canvas for repurposing. In some spaces, a thin coating of dust is illuminated by natural light that floods through the courthouse's many windows. The elevator shaft is empty. Restrooms have been emptied of their plumbing, sinks and toilets. The building, synonymous with justice and county government for multiple generations, is a place now where no one can flip on a light, wash hands or feel comfortable on a sultry day in late August.

But despite the building's useless status, the demolition exposed architectural delights dating back to the year the Model T was rolled out by Henry Ford. The rooms on each floor are dominated by brick walls once covered by sheetrock. Brick archways in the lower level of the building provide structure not commonly seen in modern construction.

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller

"It's got some neat features," said Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst, who gave a tour of the empty building Monday, Aug. 21.

The second and third floors impress with high ceilings and plenty of room for the county government to conduct its business.

In a matter of weeks, workers will begin to put the interior of Jackson's most prominent building back again, but leaving the best of the building's origins.

The $7.7 million project is slated to be completed by next summer, if all goes well.

For now, the building is as raw as it has been in 100 years.

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller

In each room, there were signs of the building's previous purpose. On the second floor, Herbst pointed to lines where a judge's bench had been positioned for perhaps decades. He showed the old "murder vault" where files from important unsolved cases were kept locked up, but nearby and accessible. In a year or so from now, that space will hold important financial documents for the county auditor. An old narrow stairwell there will be covered up.

The old courthouse was designed and built by M.T. Lewman and Co. of Louisville, Kentucky, using concrete construction for $66,272. Blue limestone was quarried near Jackson for the building. The white limestone on the second and third stories was quarried in Cape Girardeau and delivered by wagons in large slabs cut on site, according to previous reporting by the Southeast Missourian.

A musty smell greets visitors when they enter through the north entry on the bottom floor. The exposed brick and lofty ceilings on the second and third floors give the building, even in its most stripped-down version, an aesthetic that remains trendy in today's restaurants and workplaces. Most of the tile throughout the building, though in need of cleaning and polishing, appears timeless, as do the areas of the building with hardwood.

Much of the exposed brick will remain, Herbst said, though most of the walls around the perimeter will be covered for insulation, wiring and ductwork purposes.

The courthouse will, within a year, become home to many of the county's administrative offices.

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller

Herbst said the public administrator will take over most of the first floor. Public restrooms, often used for events in uptown Jackson, will be made new again.

The second floor will house the road department, human resources, auditor's office and treasurer's office. The county clerk's office (elections) and the county commissioners will take over the third floor of the courthouse.

The collector, the recorder and the assessor will remain in the current building. The collector's office will be moved to the second floor with the recorder and assessor. Once the moves are made, the top floor of the administration building will be left vacant for future uses, which are undetermined.

The overall reconstruction of the old courthouse is a step in a 10-year-old plan that follows the construction of the new courthouse, which was built kitty-corner on Jackson's uptown square, attached to the sheriff's office and jail. That courthouse was opened in 2020. Now, the $48 million jail expansion construction is underway along with the repurposing of the courthouse, paid for with capital improvement funds. Herbst said the project is being funded on a pay-as-you-go basis, with current funding and without a tax increase. Prior to the demolition, the building was assessed and inspected for environmental hazards such as lead and asbestos.

The fountain on the Main Street side of the courthouse will be repaired and refinished as part of the overall project, with assistance from the City of Jackson, Herbst said. An outdoor seating area on the corner closest to the new courthouse will also be constructed on the courthouse lawn. The courthouse clock will also be repaired and restored.

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller

Cape Girardeau County Associate Commissioner Charlie Herbst gives a tour of the empty and stripped courthouse in uptown Jackson. Penzel Construction will begin to rebuild the interior in a few weeks, Herbst said. The demolition of the interior revealed brick interior walls and other features previously covered by more modern materials.Bob Miller