District Court historic restoration a labor of love

The district courtroom at the Big Horn County courthouse has been restored to its original glory. The room was built in 1918.  

To celebrate, the county is hosting an open house Tuesday, Nov. 18 from 3-5 p.m. 

District Court Clerk Serena Lipp’s dream to restore the room started in 2015. Her inspiration for it came from the Wyoming Capital Square project that started in 2015. That was also the first year Lipp was in office. She was spending time in Cheyenne for district court clerk training and meetings. A portion of that time was spend touring the capital. She noticed the woodwork, ceilings and tiles were the same in both buildings. She began to think the same architect that built the capital built the Big Horn County courthouse. 

When all the departments in the country courthouse were asked by County Clerk Lori Smallwood to make a wish list, Lipp’s was to restore the ceiling in the district courtroom. “I put down a projected cost of $25,000 but I knew it would never happen. It was just a dream, then it happened.” 

The restoration of the district court started in February 2024. The curtains were falling and the room needed to be painted. She went to the Big Horn County commissioners to seek approval for new curtains and paint. The project grew due to the bats that had infested the courthouse attic. That infestation is what opened the door for the full restoration.   

 Lipp said those involved with the restoration project gave a gift to the county. They barely charged for the services because they wanted to make the project happen.  “They gave their gift (talent) to us,” Lipp said of Deany Delaney, Bill Cushing, Kristy Cushing, Rebecca Kinane and Deanna Skillman. 

Delaney was the decorator and designer. Delaney also has a window blind company, so Lipp asked her to provide a bid for the new blinds and paint. 

THE DESIGN 

Delaney was almost 80 when she took on the project. Lipp would walk in the room and see Delaney up on the scaffolding painting, measuring, etc. 

 “Delaney said she had never worked on a courtroom before but the minute she walked in she thought the room was so dreary. It didn’t feel like a courtroom.  It needed to be brought back to its original (design),” Lipp said. 

 When Delaney came in for the bid, she mentioned two artisans from Shell: Bill Cushing of Cushing Construction and Design plus Kristy Cushing of Red Dog Upholstery and Stitching. Bill had experience working with old buildings, so he knew how to fix the walls in the courtroom. Kristy and Delaney worked together to design and make the curtains. Kristy also made some cushions for the benches. Between them, Lipp and Judge Bobbi Overfield the fabric and design was chosen. The same fabric was used to create the sound boards. 

The Cushings took down the old, rotten wallpaper. It was glued on, and they had to scrape every inch of it off. There were cracks in the wall plus places where bricks had been hammered out. New bricks were put in place. Then the room was replastered. 

Their friend Shannon Crist donated the use of his scaffolding for over a year. Lipp said that scaffolding was the lifeline to the project. Without it they couldn’t have done anything with the ceiling. A new ceiling was not a part of the original project. Lipp smiled and noted that, “This is where the bats and fate stepped in. The bat smell was in the ceiling tiles. Plus, we had someone willing, at a very low cost, to do the project or it would not have happened.” 

 Making the ceiling and wall projects even more complicated was having to move the furniture from one side of the room to the other to do the work. There was no place to store them while the project was being done. Even harder was having to put everything back in place for three jury trials that took place during the restoration. Delaney and Lipp spend a few weekends putting the furniture back, dusting, cleaning. “Court was not going to stop for this project.” explained Lipp. 

Each one of the ceiling beams had to be redone as well. Delaney added she was thankful that the commissioners approved an engineering company coming in. They were able to move all the air conditioning system into the attic above the room versus hanging down from the ceiling. This meant the ceiling could return to its original height and aesthetic. The new lights were chosen to reflect the time period the room was built.  

Delaney expounded that being a part of the project was an honor. “We need to keep our history. It had been lost in this courtroom. Plus, it was hard to have court in this room. The heating and cooling system didn’t work, and it was very uncomfortable.” 

Kristy explained why the project was important to them and why they gladly shared their talents/time. “For us the idea of restoring the history and the gravitas of a courtroom you walk into and have a sense of the justice system.” 

Delaney agreed, saying “This was not a typical remodel job. It should have cost two to three times more than it actually cost this county. It was a labor of love by all involved. Making this room back into what it was historically will help this county. I think that is something that all of us feel. Everybody did it because they wanted to. We have people in this community that really care enough to do something for this county.” 

THE MURAL 

In the room as well was a canvas which Delaney feels must have had a mural at one time. “They painted over it with celery green paint. It was really ugly.” She started looking for a paper mural that would reflect this county. Never in her lifetime did she think that artists would agree to paint an original mural within the allotted budget. 

Delaney continued that Lipp had stopped into Bob’s Diner and Bakery. She began talking to Deanna Skillman. Skillman said there may be a possibility of having the mural painted by local artists. The canvas is 22 feet long, 7 ½ feet tall. 

Skillman asked Rebecca Kinane if she would be interested in doing the mural together. She said yes.  They provided an initial drawing. Delaney wanted the mural to depict everything that makes Big Horn County what it is: dinosaurs, cattle, wildlife, farming, mining, oil, trains, etc. She said she was blown away by the job Skillman and Kinane did. “It is amazing.” 

Lipp added the Skillman and Kinane family stories inspire her to this day. The Skillmans’ son Ayden needed a heart transplant. The Kinanes’ son Owen was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. The community rallied around both families through prayers, fundraisers, etc.  

That community support was then an inspiration for the artists to give back to the community through their art. They did so by offering to paint the mural within the budget the county had set for a mural printed on paper. Lipp said that both Skillman and Kinane’s husbands encouraged them to do the project. “They needed a place to heal. They were going through a lot. Both of their sons are thriving now. It is a beautiful story. They came on weekends, they came at night, they donated the paint. They gave their hearts because of what Big Horn County means to them.” 

Kinane explained why she wanted to do the project. “It is a gift to the community. It is also not just about the money. It is about leaving behind a legacy. I’m hoping this never gets painted over. Maybe this will be here when I’m gone. It isn’t about how much money you made, it’s about what did you leave behind.” 

Both Skillman and Kinane think that the mural would look great on a billboard or in tourism ads to promote the county. Skillman said they did a lot of searching of history in Big Horn County to come up what should be included in the mural. The train and grain silo are two of their favorites. Kinane said probably because those items are not what they typically paint so they were out of their comfort zones. Skillman also really likes the Wyoming flag and the bighorn ram. The ram is about 6 feet tall. They will be signing the mural at the reception. 

RECEPTION 

The public is invited to the reception on Nov. 18. Lipp said she hopes the room is filled with people from the county and those that helped make the dream come true. Highlights include guest speakers, a slide show showing the progress of the mural and refreshments. 

Lipp and Delaney praised the Big Horn County commissioners and County Maintenance Supervisor Jeremy Pouska as well as his crew. “We are very fortunate they saw the vision and wanted to restore the history,” said Delaney.  

Lipp is hoping that Judge Bill Simpson will be able to attend as his family has history in that courtroom. She added she has heard Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid were tried in the courtroom. “There is a lot of history in the courthouse and in this room. My heart is full seeing this completed. It truly was a labor of love for all.”