Repairs & Renovations

What does it take to keep a 250-year-old building standing? Repairs! Repairs! Repairs! Countless dedicated individuals have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into preserving this historic structure. Throughout its long history, it has undergone numerous repairs and renovations. We pay tribute to those who have contributed to keeping these four walls standing strong!

A New Look

Our building did not always have the Victorian style it has today. When it was built in 1776, it was a colonial-style building. Nearly one hundred years later, the building’s roof and facade were changed to its present state.

In 1874, the General Assembly resolved to allocate money to have the Washington County courthouse repaired. A year later, Elisha C. Clarke and John G. Perry inspected the building. They found the building to be in such disrepair that the roof was “liable to fall at any moment.” They recommended the roof be replaced with a lighter one, remove the belfry from the center of the roof, and construct a bell tower on the front of the building.

Charles Maxson & Co. from Westerly were contracted to do the repairs. They completed the job in 1877.

Excerpts from the Committee Report

Changes to the look of this building were not merely for cosmetic reasons. By 1874 the courthouse was in desperate need of repairs. The General Assembly tasked Elisha C. Clarke and John G. Perry with inspecting the Kingston courthouse. The report was not good. The sills were rotting, the windows were damaged, the foundation settled poorly, and the roof was in imminent danger of collapse. The following are excerpts from their report.

Fire!

The courthouse almost burned down several times over the years.