Crook County commissioners move back into courthouse

Published 11:00 am Wednesday, July 30, 2025

The county commissioners all say the same thing: They are excited to be back in the courthouse.

County government moved out of the first floor of the Crook County Courthouse several years ago to provide more space for a growing community development department. Years later, that department still occupies the bottom floor, but with local circuit court and district attorney’s office personnel moving to the new criminal justice center, just a few blocks west, the third floor of the courthouse was opened for new occupants.

Commissioners Susan Hermreck, Seth Crawford and Brian Barney moved to the top floor of the courthouse on July 18, taking over offices previously occupied by circuit court judges, district attorneys and in Barney’s case, prospective jurors. Joining them are County Manager Will Van Vactor and two administrative assistants.

“July 21 was the first day that I started unloading boxes,” Hermreck beams as she takes in the new view from her office window. “I have an ice maker, I have a little fridge, I have a Keurig. I’m at home. I’m settled.”

Down the hall, Crawford is also settling in – some framed art is leaned against a wall, waiting to get hung up soon.

“This is something that we have wanted for a really long time,’ he said, “to be able to give the courthouse the respect it deserves, to actually have a working courthouse again with the community coming through here, experiencing it and getting to be a part of government and see the historic aspects of the building.”

Across the old courtroom at the heart of the third floor, Barney has set up his office in the old jury room.

“I have enjoyed the move,” he said, adding, “This old courthouse has quite a story.”

The courthouse is not done gaining occupants and government activities. Future plans include moving the county legal department into the building, likely on the third floor in the former district attorney’s main office. And the other long-term plan is to eventually hold county board of commissioner and county planning commission meetings in the old courtroom.

“The courtroom had a place for one judge and obviously there are three commissioners and seven planning commissioners, so we need to go in there and figure out what we’re going to do and keep it historically accurate,” Hermreck said. “That is a work in progress.”

Crawford agreed the transition to the courtroom will take time. He praised the county facilities department not only for maintaining the courthouse and helping the commissioners move offices but playing a role in whatever next steps follow to hold meetings in the courtroom.

“They were very pivotal in moving us here,” he said.

Barney noted that the county will also need to conduct various studies to determine what work is needed to make the courthouse seismically sound and up to current safety standards in other ways.

“I just want to have all the boxes checked,” he said. “There are so many little things it needs besides the big things.”

But he is confident that in the end, the old, historic building will be a good fit.

“I think it is going to work well for the county.”