The Crumbling Courthouse Scandal
County officials halt construction on the new courthouse after discovering contractors used substandard materials and ignored building specifications.
County Superintendent Rogers is investigating the courthouse contractors for not complying with the specifications. The trouble this time is over the inside walls. The specifications call for 18 inches for the walls, while it is being constructed with but 13 inches. The contractors have been notified and operations temporarily suspended. On the front tower walls, the contractors have been called down for using soft brick. The commissioners intend to carry out the penalty of $50 per day for each day the building is not completed after March 1, and 20 per cent of all estimates have been withheld to cover this penalty.
“The commissioners intend to carry out the penalty of $50 per day for each day the building is not completed after March 1.”
Public construction projects in Olympia have long been subject to intense scrutiny regarding budget and quality. This 1892 dispute over 'soft brick' and wall thickness mirrors modern concerns about the oversight of civic infrastructure and the accountability of private contractors working for the public good.
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