A $3.5 million investment into one of Newark’s most treasured spaces is now open to the public at the Licking County courthouse.

During a rededication ceremony held on Law Day, elected officials past and present, including local judges, appellate judges, and county commissioners, witnessed the unveiling of the most recent pieces of the county’s 10-year courthouse restoration project.

Most recently, the county commissioners debuted a documentary detailing the renovation process. “Honoring a Beacon: Restoration of the Licking County West Courtroom” allows those who can’t visit the opportunity to admire the building and learn about its history.

“This building is iconic,” said Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb. “It’s one of a handful of beautiful 19th-century courthouses around Ohio that are almost beacons speaking to the rest of the world about the quality of the community and what we have here.”

But what’s inside the 1876 courthouse is even more of a marvel for those who enter the West Courtroom.

“I don’t think anyone imagined what priceless artworks were hidden for so many decades underneath all of this dirt and grime,” said Peter Schoenmann, director of Parma Conservation, the restoration company contracted to bring the second-floor courtroom back to life. “Our entire staff was blown away. I think the people of Licking County will be in awe.”

Inside the West Courtroom, paintings and portraits adorn the walls and ceiling. It features stained glass from Tiffany’s, portraits of the country’s founders, and paintings that reflect the history of the law.

“It’s the embodiment of what a courtroom should be,” said Licking County Common Pleas Court Judge Thomas Marcelain during a 2014 interview with the Ohio Channel. “It’s a place where you enter into it and you feel some type of majesty for the law or a sense of justice. Justice seeps out of the ceiling.”

For those who enter the courtroom and participate in proceedings, Judge Marcelain believes they find a greater sense of purpose within its walls.

“They recognize they’re trying to find the truth or trying to find some higher ideal, and it’s easier to hold them to the higher ideal when you have those embodiments of it or representations of it in the courtroom here,” he said. “When it’s put in a place like this, it makes you recognize that there’s something larger than yourself or some bigger ideal you’re striving to achieve.”

America is preparing for its 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, The Court is celebrating the semiquincentennial with a year-long celebration called “The Story of America" highlighting significant historical events. Beyond digital content, the celebration includes events and displays at the Court. The initiative aims to spark curiosity, enhance civic literacy, and honor key moments in American and Ohio history. supremecourt.ohio.gov/am250