County courthouse cupola causes concern

OXFORD COUNTY — The County Commissioners authorized the repair of the leaky courthouse cupola.

The cupola - the small vented box that straddles the ridge pole of the building - has been leaking for years, said County Administrator Scott Cole. Some time ago, the problem was diagnosed by Hahnel Brothers, a Lewiston-based engineering firm. The cost, however, kept the project on a back-burner until recently, when the situation worsened.

John Ferland, the Roofing Division manager at Hahnel, wrote that he was called to the courthouse in the morning of October 15, when rain, driven by very high winds, had saturated the interior of the cupola and leaked into the attic floor below. This in turn threatened the plaster ceiling of the superior courtroom. Ferland indicated that the problem wasn't the slate tiles that were allowing the water in, but the flashing— the pieces of sheet metal used to protect joints and angles.

The commissioners authorized Cole to spend up to $7,140, the amount estimated by Ferland to be the cost of repairs. More work on the roof will be tentatively scheduled for spring, to include more flashing and possibly new windows.