Commissioners decided a couple of months ago to celebrate the project, stating how proud they are of how the approximately $1 million renovation turned out.Melinda Young, Polk County Travel and Tourism Director and John Vining, Polk County Cooperative Extension Office Director were in charge of the celebration. Young says commissioners want to invite the public to see the whole courthouse and feel the pride of the efforts the county has taken to restore and protect it.

The Polk County Courthouse was first erected in 1859. The county restored the building in 1999, but after problems were found, the county began in 2007 another restoration project that included mostly structural renovations and restoring the cupola. The newly restored courthouse includes rock sidewalks entering the courthouse.

The courtroom upstairs was deemed unsafe by engineers and was closed to the public in 2004. Court was held in the Womack building for approximately four years until the courtroom was reopened last summer.

The public is invited and encouraged to attend the reception as well as the commissioner meeting following in the courtroom. Commissioners meetings were historically held in the courtroom until the Womack building was constructed across the street.