by npspatrol » Sun Sep 12, 2010 2:16 pm
One of my fondest childhood memories was walking through the old Courthouse Park, looking up at the white painted grand old County Courthouse, strolling past the old men playing checkers and watching the water drip from the statue of the Boy with the Leaking Boot. When I lived in Fresno, it was hard to look at the newly built Courthouse and not wince as I thought of how insane it was that they demolished the original one. Without a doubt, Fresno's biggest preservation blunder. I read in another thread and also saw the picture of the saved Cupola from the old Courthouse, sitting in a fenced storage yard. So it made me happy to find the story on the internet below. An easy search had turned up this article from ABC 30 News. If you live in Fresno, then this must be old news to you. But to us Boomers that live elsewhere, it is big news indeed. Read on:
By Gene Haagenson
More: Bio, News Team
Fresno, CA (KFSN) -- A small piece of one of Fresno's biggest losses is about to make a comeback. The structure that used to sit on top of the old county courthouse is about to be restored. The majestic Fresno County Courthouse first built in 1875 dominated downtown. At the peak of the dome, was the cupola. It was removed from the building in 1966, just before the courthouse was demolished. The beautiful, ornate architectural marvel was taken down so an underground parking garage could be built for the new, space aged style courthouse building. Just about the only thing left from the old courthouse, is the cupola. It's been sitting in a heavy equipment yard for decades. Lennie Kavoian's father was friends with the owner of the demolition crew, and saved the cupola, for Lennie's Mom Rose. The Kavoian family has donated the cupola to the Fresno County Historical Society, and they are planning to bring it back to life.
A crane will be brought in to move the old structure. It will be placed in a nearby warehouse, where noted architect Bill Patanude will oversee the restoration of this small but important piece of what was a Fresno landmark, demolished in the name of progress. The Fresno Historical Society will be holding fundraisers and other events so the whole community can get involved in restoring this key piece of history.
One of my fondest childhood memories was walking through the old Courthouse Park, looking up at the white painted grand old County Courthouse, strolling past the old men playing checkers and watching the water drip from the statue of the Boy with the Leaking Boot. When I lived in Fresno, it was hard to look at the newly built Courthouse and not wince as I thought of how insane it was that they demolished the original one. Without a doubt, Fresno's biggest preservation blunder. I read in another thread and also saw the picture of the saved Cupola from the old Courthouse, sitting in a fenced storage yard. So it made me happy to find the story on the internet below. An easy search had turned up this article from ABC 30 News. If you live in Fresno, then this must be old news to you. But to us Boomers that live elsewhere, it is big news indeed. Read on:
[flash=425,344]http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/static/flash/embeddedPlayer/swf/otvEmLoader.swf?version=&station=kfsn§ion=&mediaId=6835530&cdnRoot=http://cdn.abclocal.go.com&webRoot=http://abclocal.go.com&site="[/flash]
By Gene Haagenson
More: Bio, News Team
Fresno, CA (KFSN) -- A small piece of one of Fresno's biggest losses is about to make a comeback. The structure that used to sit on top of the old county courthouse is about to be restored. The majestic Fresno County Courthouse first built in 1875 dominated downtown. At the peak of the dome, was the cupola. It was removed from the building in 1966, just before the courthouse was demolished. The beautiful, ornate architectural marvel was taken down so an underground parking garage could be built for the new, space aged style courthouse building. Just about the only thing left from the old courthouse, is the cupola. It's been sitting in a heavy equipment yard for decades. Lennie Kavoian's father was friends with the owner of the demolition crew, and saved the cupola, for Lennie's Mom Rose. The Kavoian family has donated the cupola to the Fresno County Historical Society, and they are planning to bring it back to life.
A crane will be brought in to move the old structure. It will be placed in a nearby warehouse, where noted architect Bill Patanude will oversee the restoration of this small but important piece of what was a Fresno landmark, demolished in the name of progress. The Fresno Historical Society will be holding fundraisers and other events so the whole community can get involved in restoring this key piece of history.