Much discussion was held Tuesday morning during the meeting of the Christian Fiscal Court, as magistrates voted to make the former Treasurer’s Office on Weber Street surplus property.
Specifically, the building was marked as surplus for demolition, as it is reportedly in fairly poor condition. Hopkinsville Fire Department Deputy Chief Chad Sivils was one of the inspectors of the property, and told magistrates that the building has a hazardous, crumbling foundation, extensive termite and moisture damage, bowing walls, and mold throughout the building.
Sivils says the building is very likely being primarily supported by cedar posts and concrete blocks, which makes it very hazardous for inhabitants.
Before the vote, Magistrate Russ Guffey asked if the court has done its due diligence in seeing if there’s anyway to salvage the building without tearing it down, as it is a part of Christian County history.
The Treasurer’s Office, along with the former Judge-Executive’s Office, was built on Weber Street in 1839, though the building gained its name from Dr. Augustine Webber, a doctor who both lived and worked at the building from 1854 until 1868. The building itself has served as law offices, a small cigar manufacturer and as a restaurant in the 1930’s named the Coffee Pot, but it was purchased by Christian County Government in 1968.
That’s all according to the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County, who goes into further detail in the history of several historic buildings in a recent post on their Facebook page.
Tuesday morning, Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam told magistrates he doesn’t see a way they can feasibly provide the repairs the building needs, but they can certainly discuss it further if they so chose and go in a different direction.
The motion to make it surplus was approved unanimously, with the tag of being marked for demolition, though a timeline on when that make take place was unclear. This does not include the former Judge-Executive’s Office.