AAC


FEATURE COURTHOUSE


beams are evident under the rubber covering, so it appears to have been a later treatment. Originally, a balcony with a seat- ing capacity of 750 spanned three sides of the courtroom. Te balcony was closed off on two sides and reduced on the rear, eastern side, but the historic concrete risers for seating are ex- tant behind the modern partition. Since the 1928 cornerstone laying, attended by 4,000 people,


the Benton County Courthouse has been well maintained. Te original intent of the architect A.O. Clark persists due to the efforts of the county to preserve the building. Benton County Judge Barry Moehring said he believes historic buildings are useful buildings, and he sees the courthouse as “vital to our courts system, but also to the cultural and financial well-being of Bentonville…” Te preservation of the Benton County Courthouse can be attributed in part to the financial assistance of the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, a division of the Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism (formerly the Department of Arkansas Heritage). Since 2001, the depart- ment has provided $103,290 in grants to the courthouse for mechanical and electrical improvements.


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A square limestone panel located below the central fan window on the front of the courthouse reads, “Sovereignty Rests with the People.”


32


COUNTY LINES, FALL 2019


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