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    • Audrain County Courthouse new elevator
    • Posted March 22, 2012 midnight
    • Construction of the new elevator at the Audrain County Courthouse is underway. Workers with Prost Construction Services were shoring up the stairwell Wednesday to prepare for the jackhammering, expected to start next week. Site Superintendent Jeremy Schulte said the demolition of the stairwell should take about 28 days and another 30 days to install the elevator. Workers have already removed most of the marbling on the stairwell. Commissioners plan to reuse the salvaged marble to help blend the new construction with the existing surrounding structure of the courthouse. Laborers continue placing safety guides to keep the rubble from falling when the jackhammering begins. Most of the work is expected to occur during courthouse working hours. Commissioner Tom Groves said the biggest concern with the construction is the noise factor and working around court sessions. Plastic has been installed to control dust. Entrance into the south side of the courthouse has not changed. The handicap ramp is still accessible. While tearing out the plaster and marbling, workers found two whiskey bottles and a note written by the contractor that built the courthouse in 1950. Those items, along with the diagram of the original courthouse, will be placed in a historical preservation room that will be constructed once the new elevator is installed.