31 Oct Ross Hill, Kansas State (Limestone) is Crumbling

(Pott. County Commission Meeting, October 31, 2017) | The Manhattan Mercury

Ross Hill, Belvue, presented geological information about limestone quarried in this area and questioned its long-term stability in structures such as the Pott County Courthouse. Hill cited an article in The Topeka Capital-Journal titled “Kansas State is Crumbling” about the deteriorating condition of many limestone buildings on the K-State campus. The article, he said, refuted a claim made last month by Dru Clarke, a vocal supporter of preserving the courthouse, that K-State buildings are in good condition. “K-State’s not falling down and the courthouse is not falling down,” Clarke said at the commission’s Oct. 2 meeting. History is a wonderful thing, Hill said, but added that new residences moving to Pott County have no ties to its history and may never even visit Westmoreland, where the courthouse is located. “Do what we elected you for and do what’s best for the county,” he said. “Remember, this is the 21st century, not the 19th Century.” In response, Clarke said the county has initiated major renovations of the County Office Building, another limestone structure at Westmoreland. “There’s absolutely no reason that can’t be done with the courthouse,” she said.