Ribbon cutting ceremony held for the newly renovated Hunterdon County historic courthouse
FLEMINGTON, NJ (Hunterdon County) – The Hunterdon County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration of the recently renovated Hunterdon County historic courthouse.
The event took place on the courthouse steps and the Commissioner Board was joined by local county officials including County Clerk Mary Melfi, Surrogate Heidi Rohrbach, Sheriff Fred Brown, County Prosecutor Renée Robeson, Flemington Borough Mayor Marcia Karrow, County Director of Planning and Land Use Frank Bell, and Project Architect Michael Hanrahan.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Deputy Director, Susan J. Soloway, and following the playing of the National Anthem, Director Jeff Kuhl shared remarks where he said, “Built in 1828, this courthouse is one of the oldest surviving county courthouses in New Jersey. Part of what makes Hunterdon County a great place to live a raise our families is because we continue to support the preservation of our local history. On a personal note, I recall my mother, Elsa, being a part of the original committee a couple of decades ago when the idea of restoring and preserving this great courthouse came about. It is important to keep history alive.”
Phase 1 of the renovation project included exterior restoration and interior rehabilitation of the historic courthouse. The second phase of the project included exterior and interior restoration of the attached jail and warden’s house. The over $4 million renovation was offset by a $1,497,000.00 grant from the Preserve New Jersey Historic Preservation Fund.
The Historic Hunterdon County Courthouse was home to the 1935 infamous Lindberg kidnapping trial, also known as the “Trial of the Century”.
“I believe that the courthouse renovation will serve as a catalyst as part of a broader revitalization effort of Main Street in Flemington, our county seat. Thank you to all attending here tonight, have a Happy 4th of July and let’s cut the ribbon,” Kuhl said.
The ribbon cutting event was open to the public and boasted over 150 attendees that enjoyed refreshments provided by the county, live music by Dan Torrone, and tours of the newly renovated courthouse by Sheriff Fred Brown.
