The balance of power soon will be restored to the halls of justice at the McLennan County Courthouse.

Or at least it will return to the top of the courthouse dome.

After 11 years without her mighty sword, Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, will reclaim her 6-foot blade during an ongoing, $725,000 roof-repair project.

Matthew McKinney, of Bilt Rite Scaffolding out of Austin, looks at the statue atop the McLennan County Courthouse that will soon be repaired.
Rod Aydelotte/Tribune-Herald

The statue likely was placed there when the courthouse was completed in 1902, county officials said.

While many courthouse visitors or employees may not even have noticed, Themis has appeared off-balance for more than a decade.

She holds large scales of justice high in her left hand and nothing but a blade’s handle in her right.

County officials have said they think strong winds from an April 1999 storm proved too much for the old metal sword.

County workers found the lightweight blade made from sheet metal on a ledge on the southwest side of the roof.

State District Judge Ralph Strother perhaps was the first to notice the sword missing shortly after he was appointed to the 19th State District Court bench.

He jokingly said then that he was looking to the heavens for divine guidance when he made the alarming discovery that Themis had been disarmed.

No one thought too much about it for years until county commissioners decided to fix the leaking roof. The county hired Johnson Roofing, which is scheduled to complete the job by the first of December.

Strother, joking again, said he is glad the commissioners “got the point” and decided to replace the sword.

“We like things complete in the legal system,” Strother said this week. “Not having that sword up there is just not complete. But, really, I am delighted that the sword will be replaced after all these years.

“I really think that a courthouse with this much classical beauty ought to look like it was intended to look. I’m glad now that it will. My compliments to the commissioners.”

The roof project will include some new roofing, patching and general repairs, County Judge Jim Lewis said.

It also will include repairs and sprucing up of the statues of Themis on the dome; Lady Justice, the Roman goddess of justice; and Lady Liberty, the American symbol of liberty.

Themis, the Greek goddess of justice, has been without her trusty sword for 11 years.
Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald

Also, some of the time-worn urns on the roof and eagle statutes on the dome are in need of repair, Lewis said.

About three weeks ago, before the roof work began, the county called GGA Pest Management to remove a large honeycomb filled with bees that had taken up residence inside Lady Justice on the northeast corner of the courthouse.

A portion of the head of the statue, now known as the “Sweet Lady,” had rusted out, and bees had made it their home, said Sam Sykora, director of county facilities.

“The whole statue was full of honey,” Sykora said. “But we got rid of the bees, and they are going to seal and coat the area that is rusted and paint over it.”

Besides getting her sword back, Themis also is in line for a little midlife tuneup, Sykora said.

At 108, she still looks pretty good. But after holding those heavy scales aloft for more than a century, her left arm is twisted, cracked and out of alignment.

Crews will repair her arm and put her back in shape, Sykora said.

twitherspoon@wacotrib.com

757-5737

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