Thanks to the kindness of Conrad Scmitt Studios, I was able to ascend the scaffolding in the rotunda of Courthouse 1 in early March. Joining me were Judges Broden and Manier, along with St. Joseph County Council President Bryan Tanner, and members Amy Drake and Randy Figg. Rounding out the group was Notre Dame Professor of Architecture Duncan Stroik. In late February, another group of courthouse personnel were able to take the same journey. Bryon Roesselet served as our tour guide.

If you haven't been in Courthouse 1 for a while, here's a recent view of the scaffolding that sits on the second floor of the rotunda. 

After making sure our liability waivers were in order (and life insurance premiums were paid), we climbed the first ladder. Our first stop was the mural above the door to the Circuit Court courtroom. Here we have the painting by Conrad Arthur Thomas (more about him in a future post) titled "LaSalle at the Treaty of Miami, May 1681." 

As you can see, work has barely begun on this painting. Bryon explained that the restorers are not using any chemicals to remove the layers sitting on top of the original paint. Believe it or not, the layers can be removed by just scraping them off with your fingernail. The original paint is robust enough to not be disturbed. 

In this close-up you can see the brush strokes. 

While it's amazing to see a small preview of what a brighter, original painting will look like when the project is done, there's much more to be seen. Anyone who has been inside Courthouse 1 will recall that the color scheme on the second floor is off-white and off-white. We got a hint of what lies under the boring paint. 

While I could go on for much longer, court duties call. There's much more to come, including a good use of masking tape, surprise lightbulbs, and being able to almost touch the sky(light). Stay tuned!

Bill Wilson