MOUNT VERNON — Anyone on East High Street who looks up at the Memorial Building may notice that the cupola, which once stood atop the building, is gone. The aging cupola is in the process of being replaced by a prefabricated aluminum cupola; the county commissioners hope the new cupola will require less maintenance than the previous structure.
“It was in pretty miserable shape,” said Commissioner Tom McLarnan, referring to the cupola that had been on top of the Memorial Building since 1925.
“Since I’ve been commissioner, we’ve pretty much rebuilt the building almost from top to bottom,” said Commissioner Allen Stockberger, adding that the cupola is basically the only part left of the building that has not been replaced.
“The cupola was repaired about 12 years ago — we thought, satisfactory at the time,” said Stockberger. “We were actually rather surprised about a year ago to discover that the siding was rotten.”
“Terribly rotten,” said Commissioner Bob Wise.
In the course of seeking a contractor to repair the weather-worn cupola, one of the architectural firms submitted an alternate plan which included a prefabricated aluminum structure to replace the current decaying wood-based structure.
“It should look no different from the street to the average passer-by, but it should be very low maintenance and very long-lasting,” said Stockberger.
Wise pointed out that the prefabricated cupola was offered at the same price to repair the old structure.
“We went for the long livelihood, and we hope it comes out to be as beautiful as the old one has been,” said Wise.
The interior of the cupola was known for having a collection of signatures on the walls. These signatures accumulated over the years, and the paneling featuring the signatures is now in the care of the Knox County Historical Society.
The cost of replacing the cupola is $163,251; this includes the repair of an ornamental oval on the front gable of the building. According to the commissioners, the contractor hopes to have the prefabricated aluminum cupola installed by early October. The contract said the absolute final day for work to be complete is Oct. 31.
