Iron County Courthouse gazebo undergoing facelift

Iron County – The iconic 130-year-old Ironton County Courthouse gazebo is currently undergoing a facelift, according to The Mountain Echo.

Last fall, long-time Ironton alderman, Bo Layton, removed one of the ornate pieces on the gazebo to make a template. He said that through the winter he made eight sections out of poplar, a dense wood. He added that, while the gazebo was originally made of fir, the wood is difficult to find nowadays without containing a large number of knot-holes.

The moon and stars design (fretwork) had to be cut out, as well as the jagged tooth-like patterns (dentalwork). Some of the gazebo’s other pieces — such as the round “acorns” — required turning 176 times on a wood lathe.

After Layton and volunteer co-worker Cliff Yates complete their portion of the work, another crew will power wash, scrape and repaint the gazebo, as well as replace its wood roof shingles.