Callahan County's 1929 courthouse renovation is almost done
Bond money and a $4.6 million state preservation grant paid for an accessible entrance, a new elevator and geothermal heating and cooling.
CountyWork on Callahan County's 1929 courthouse in Baird is nearly finished, about five years after the 2021 groundbreaking. Voters approved bonds for the project in 2020.
The bond money covered the county's match for a Texas Historical Commission grant and paid for an annex project next door. The commission put in $4.6 million and guided the historic preservation work.
Before the renovation, the building had no hot water, and its elevator dated to the 1950s, the last time the county had passed a bond. It did not meet accessibility rules. The courthouse now has an accessible ramp and a new elevator, plus a geothermal system that county leaders expect to cut utility costs.
The county clerk's office has already moved back in and ran early voting there. More staff will return once the last work is done. County Judge Donald Lane and County Auditor Sandra Rose have been involved in the project, and the county plans a rededication ceremony with the Texas Historical Commission when it is complete.
