MASON COUNTY, Texas — The Mason County Courthouse finally received a new crown after a fire destroyed it over two years ago, according to a report from KVUE's media partners at the Austin American-Statesman.
The arson fire resulted in the destruction of the cupola of the courthouse in February 2021. The fire left around $20 million in damage to repair the 111-year-old courthouse.
On April 20, when the crown was officially put back onto the courthouse, residents of Mason lined up to see the placement. According to the Statesman, the rest of the courthouse is expected to be restored by August and will be re-opened with a grand opening in October.
The suspect in the arson, Nicholas Miler, has been arrested and charged with burglary and arson. Miller is in a jail nearby in McCulloch County.
This addition to the courthouse is the second time the historic building had to be repaired. The first courthouse burned on Jan. 21, 1877.
The building had burned as part of the "Mason County War," according to the Statesman report, and residents were running into the building to grab land records.
PHOTOS: Mason County Courthouse receives new crown two years after fire
The new cupola added to the courthouse was made by one of the only two manufacturers qualified to make the structure, Heather and Little Ltd. out of Ontario, Canada. The cupola could not exceed 36,000 pounds.
The new addition, with pressed metal shingles, weighs 30,466 pounds.