World War I Mural, Freedom Shrine to Be Rededicated in Coming Week
FAYETTEVILLE — County Judge Marilyn Edwards and Circuit Judge Mary Ann Gunn would like to invite members of the public to celebrate the reopening of the Historic Washington County Courthouse and rededication of the renovated third-floor courtroom.
A week of events is planned culminating with rededication of the courthouse and third-floor courtroom on Saturday, Sept. 18.
The week begins with rededication of the World War I Mural in the second-floor lobby at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14. The Marion Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will rededicate the mural, which was cleaned by Rick Parker, a skilled conservator.
On Friday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m., a celebration of Constitution Day and the rededication of the Freedom Shrine by the Fayetteville Exchange Club will take place. Charles Duell is organizer of the event, and former Washington County Prosecutor Terry Jones will speak.
The week-long celebration culminates with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, in front of the historic courthouse with self-guided tours of the courthouse following. At 9:30 a.m. members of the public are invited to the third-floor courtroom for an on-the-record session of court during which judges and lawyers will recount stories about past events taking place in the courtroom.
The Historic Washington County Courthouse was built in 1904 and 1905 from a design by the noted Arkansas architect Charles L. Thompson. During the last several years, the courthouse has been renovated inside and out.
The most significant change is the revision of the third-floor courtroom to its original size. During the late 1940s, the courtroom was divided to create two smaller courtrooms and a gallery overlooking the courtroom was turned into a storage area. Today, the courtroom is returned to its original size and, measured by total square footage, including the gallery, is believed to be the largest courtroom in the state of Arkansas.
During the rededication, parking will be available in nearby parking lots, including at the John Paul Hammerschmidt Federal Building. Traffic will be rerouted briefly around the intersection of College Avenue and Center Street for the ribbon-cutting at 9 a.m. Transportation for anyone with mobility impairment will be available from parking lots to the historic courthouse.
CONTACTS:
County Judge Marilyn Edwards
479-444-1700
Circuit Judge Mary Ann Gunn
479-973-8420