Iconic torch may soon be back atop Taunton courthouse dome. Why, when and more answers

TAUNTON — Taunton’s skyline may soon be restored to its former glory.

If you get a nagging feeling something's missing every time you look at the Taunton Superior courthouse, the wait may soon be over.

More than two decades ago, the massive copper torch that had crowned the courthouse on the Taunton Green for more than a century was removed when it began to list to one side.

“For more than 20 years, this courthouse has been without what was once an iconic symbol of downtown Taunton,” State Sen. Marc Pacheco said.

But that might soon change.

The Taunton Democrat has secured funding in the Senate budget for the upcoming fiscal year for the restoration and reinstallation of the copper torch.

That earmark still needs to make it out of conference — where the House and Senate reconcile their two budgets — and be signed into law by the governor.

But Pacheco said he is optimistic that will happen and the torch will soon be back on its perch high above the city — possibly even in time for the lighting of the Taunton Green ahead of Christmas this year, he said.

Pacheco said the torch is a powerful symbol, especially atop the historic Superior courthouse. And the torch’s absence also sends a message, of lack of care and respect for the city’s rich history, he said.

The torch tells people, “Here we are, the county seat, and from this place the light shines, and we’ll continue to move forward with justice and equity for all,” Pacheco said.

Mayor Shaunna O'Connell said, as a lifelong Tauntonian, she's "thrilled to see the Bristol County Commission repairing our beautiful Superior Court with new roofing and the potential replacement of the torch."

"It was always an important symbol in our City and I don't think any of us imagined it would be down for decades," O'Connell said.

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How much will it cost?

Pacheco said the Senate budget earmarks $750,000 in state funds for the courthouse. Of that, about $500,000 will be for restoring and reinstalling the torch. Pacheco said that should be "enough or close to it" to cover the entire cost of the project. The other $250,000 is for sustainability and energy efficiency upgrades to the building, he said.

Where is the torch now?

For many year, the torch was lying on the ground, under a worn blue tarp, about 50 feet from a guard station at TMLP’s Cleary Flood generation station on Somerset Avenue.

But Pacheco said the torch was recently sent to a restoration specialist for an estimate of the cost to restore and reinstall it.

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How big is the torch?

The copper sculpture of a torch and flame is 15 feet high and weighs about 300 pounds, according to the contractors who took it down.

When was the torch removed and why?

In October 2003, the sculpture was surgically removed after it became tilted atop the Superior courthouse dome and an official from the state Division of Capital Asset Management declared it a “potential hazard” requiring immediate action.

At the time, local legislators deemed the restoration of the torch and the Superior Court building as very important to Taunton, its people and the community’s character. But finding the money to make that happen was a different story and the project got pushed off for years ... and then decades.

"I've heard the question countless times from people who grew up in the area, 'When are we going to get the torch back?'" Pacheco said.

How old is the courthouse and torch?

The torch was one of the distinguishing features of the Taunton Superior Court building that was designed by architect Frank Irving Cooper and constructed in 1894. The design for the gray stone building, with a 170-foot tower, was an emulation of Romanesque-style plans by Henry Hobb Richardson for a proposed courthouse in Pittsburgh that was never built. The Taunton courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Why now?

Pacheco, who announced he is not running for re-election this fall after 31 years in the state Senate, said he felt a renewed sense of urgency to, at long last, restore the torch to its proper place above the city.

"It's something I did not want to leave undone," Pacheco said. "It's one of the things on my bucket list."

Who runs the courthouse?

The Taunton Superior courthouse is a Bristol County building. But Pacheco said the county does not have the funds to pay for the torch project itself.

When might torch be reinstalled

Pacheco said he's hoping the torch can be reinstalled by the end of 2024. That way, the torch project can make use of scaffolding already on the building for an ongoing roof project, which the county is overseeing.

"That would be an exciting day in the history of the city," Pacheco said.

With Taunton Daily Gazette staff reports

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Taunton Superior court may soon have iconic torch back after 2 decades