Cape Girardeau County’s 1908 Courthouse reopens after $9.8 million renovation

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) — After years of planning and an 18-month renovation, the historic 1908 Courthouse in Cape Girardeau County has officially reopened its doors to some offices. Offering a fully modernized space while preserving its architectural history.

Once left vacant, the courthouse has undergone a complete $9.6 million overhaul to bring it back to life. The building now houses a variety of county offices, bringing a new chapter to a historic structure.

Charlie Herbst, associate commissioner for District 2, walked me through the newly renovated courthouse, highlighting the work done to preserve the courthouse’s history while equipping it for modern use.

“We’ve been having court in an 1854 courthouse and a 1908 courthouse for a long time in Cape Girardeau County,” Herbst said. “It just didn’t make sense. The efficiencies weren’t there any longer.”

The renovation, years in the making, began with a plan in 2013.

“An empty building degrades rather quickly,” Herbst said. “We spent the last 18 months renovating the building, took it all the way down to the brick new insulation, heating and air conditioning, electrical work, and a very modern elevator.”

One of the standout features of the project was the restoration of the courthouse’s copper dome, a long process that cost $1.4 million alone. “It hasn’t been worked on since 1908, but it was well worth the investment.”

The revitalized courthouse has workers and residents excited. Herbst says the historical significance of the building, which originally housed all county offices and state courts when it first opened in 1908. By 1987, those offices had moved into a renovated Coca-Cola bottling plant across the street, but the return to the courthouse carries much weight.

“It’s always good to invest in a community, to keep the infrastructure and buildings alive,” Herbst said. “The courthouse, particularly in a smaller town like Jackson, is the focal point of the community.”

Even the original clock mechanisms were fine tuned and restored as part of the effort to honor the building’s past.

Herbst took time to thank all those who contributed to the restoration.

“It’s been a long time coming, but we’re proud of what we’ve accomplished here,” he said. “This is more than a renovation it’s a renewal of community pride.”