State officials attend Holmes courthouse clocktower placement day
Holmes County commissioners Joe Miller, left, and Rob Ault, right, join Mike Kindell, managing director of County Employee Benefits Consortium of Ohio, and County Commissioner Association of Ohio director Cheryl Subler for a photo session before Lady Justice was hoisted to the top of the courthouse.
As the director of County Commissioner Association of Ohio, Cheryl Subler enjoys traversing the state and celebrating accomplishments counties create.
On Thursday, June 10, Subler joined many of Holmes County’s officials and other interested parties in celebrating the placing of the cupola and Lady Liberty high atop the Holmes County courthouse clocktower.
Subler attended the event with Mike Kindell, managing director of County Employee Benefits Consortium of Ohio, to congratulate the Holmes County commissioners as they neared the finalization of the clocktower project that began more than a year ago.
The CCAO works on behalf of all 88 of Ohio’s counties, working with legislators to advocate for counties and help them wherever there is a need.
Subler was eager to see the progress on the courthouse and said these types of efforts are key to the ongoing effort to maintain all of Ohio’s many aging but highly appreciated courthouses.
“We are so excited to be able to celebrate this monumental achievement with the Holmes County commissioners because these kinds of events don’t come around all that often,” Subler said. “County courthouses are like a beacon in every county, and to see the commitment that the commissioners and Holmes County has made to make sure that this structure is something that the community can identify with and also be very proud of, this type of work will ensure that this building is able to stand the test of time, and that is amazing.”
In addition, Subler was pleased with the work done on Lady Justice, the alabaster statue that stands atop the courthouse and signifies justice for all.
With the reparations done on the statue, commissioners hope it will be, to coin a phrase from former President Abraham Lincoln, “four score and seven years or more” before Lady Justice has to come down for any type of repair.
While the Holmes County courthouse stands as one of the county’s true landmarks, Subler said seeing these types of old structures being preserved as part of the state’s history is not an uncommon occurrence.
“There are a lot more of these types of structures in the state than people would realize that have been keep up in good condition,” Subler said. “I think a lot of counties still see their courthouse as part of their history, and these beautiful, old structures become a source of pride that each county can showcase.”
Subler said what she enjoys about these types of investments in preserving important historical buildings is Holmes County commissioners have worked diligently to assemble a team to get the entire community excited and involved with the project.
“I think in events like this, it is always important to let people see the progress and witness the pieces that are going on top up close because it lets them understand better exactly what they are looking at once the building is completed,” Subler said. “It’s a great experience and a wonderful time for people to gain a better respect, and I think the Holmes County commissioners have done a wonderful job of giving back to the community through this project.”
CEPCO is a healthcare consortium that works for the counties, of which there are currently 40 of the 88 counties working with the organization.
Kindell said they have continued to build a relationship with Holmes County’s leaders and actually are closely connected to the Hooper family, owners of MidState Contractors Inc., the company doing all of the work on not only the clocktower, but also several other aging and deficient aspects of the courthouse.
“We have worked with MidState for a long time, and we actually have a wooden model of this (courthouse and clocktower) in our building in Columbus,” Kindell said. “They are a great family company, and they’ve done a wonderful job of recreating the original courthouse.”
Kindell presented each of the commissioners with a historical Holmes County courthouse bank, and their presence helped make the placement event feel more official as the pristine pieces of the clocktower were gently placed high atop the clocktower dome.