MARFA — At a commissioners court meeting held on February 14, Presidio County officials once again revisited the daunting prospect of renovating the historic Marfa courthouse. The issue has popped up time and again over the past year as local leaders have debated where the county’s limited funding should go first.
The conversation started in earnest under previous County Judge Cinderela Guevara, who hired InSitu Architecture, an El Paso-based firm, to evaluate what the building needed the most. After sweating through countless high desert summers, county employees felt strongly about replacing the building’s aging A/C system but had to weigh their personal comfort with the need for a new elevator and repairs to the old jail building, which houses many of the county’s historical records.
A classic Marfa vs. Presidio debate also emerged over the County Annex building, which south county representatives insist is as equally and urgently in need of repair. The building has been plagued with flooding issues since it was built, and an especially damp fall of 2022 led to mold issues so severe that Justice of the Peace Juanita Bishop’s offices needed to be relocated.
The elevator at the Marfa courthouse may emerge as the top priority. At a commissioners court meeting on January 24, Precinct 1 Commissioner David Beebe implored the court to consider the liability issues the county could face if the elevator failed — he had personally refused to use the elevator since taking office as justice of the peace in 2015.
Beebe explained that the particular design of the elevator wasn’t reliant on cables, so there wasn’t a risk the cables would snap, but that its hydraulic piston system was leaking oil and could potentially get stuck between floors. “It’s not a safety issue as far as falling and dying, but it could be a safety issue so far as getting stuck and not being able to get help,” he explained.
In addition to the upper floor courthouse employees, Beebe was concerned about the many visitors who come to the courthouse to access county services, see its historic architecture — and in some cases, get married. “While it really is a functionality issue, it’s also an embarrassment issue,” he said.
At the February 14 meeting, Gabriela Fierro of McKinstry — a design-build firm that handles both the planning and construction stages of a project — gave a presentation on what the company could offer the county.
Alongside all the practical support McKinstry offers, Fierro explained that the firm can also help the county seek out and apply for grant funding. “We make sure that we understand your specific financial landscape as we’re planning for the critical issues you have now — and planning for what there is to be done in the future,” she said.
County Judge Joe Portillo explained that the architectural assessment completed during Judge Guevara’s tenure wasn’t a waste of county cash — instead, InSitu’s findings would be incorporated into the process as a jumping-off point. “The architectural plans that were done don’t address a lot of things — broken doors, windows, other things that need to be done,” he said. “It focuses on the emergency stuff that needs to be done now or the building will deteriorate.”
There were a few reasons to be hopeful. McKinstry had worked on courthouse renovations before, and Fierro explained that historic courthouse projects were especially appealing to grant committees.
At Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners approved $45,000 for McKinstry for “grant development services” to help the county prepare a successful application for money from the Texas Historical Commission (THC), due in May.
Fierro said that the three major projects — elevator, HVAC and jailhouse roof — could potentially be covered by the grant. If the application is successful, the firm would wait for guidance before proceeding so as not to compromise the building’s historical integrity. “We won’t touch a door or a hinge or anything without the THC’s approval first,” she said.
County Attorney Rod Ponton said that he had been doing his due diligence in working with the THC for its expertise and funding. For Ponton — and many of the county officials in attendance — repairing the courthouse wasn’t just about elevators and air conditioning, but about promoting a positive image for the county. “Getting somebody with specific knowledge will help Presidio County make the courthouse gleam again because we’re so proud of it,” he said.