Tarlton Corp. received top honors at the 2025 Construction Keystone Awards Gala from the Associated General Contractors of Missouri for its two-year, $27.2 million renovation of The Old Courthouse in St. Louis.
Tarlton was recognized in the General Contractor/Construction Manager/Prime Contractor Building
Construction $20 million to $100 million category. The project was jointly funded through a public-private partnership between the National Park Service and Gateway Arch Park Foundation. The renovation marks the final component of the $380 million CityArchRiver project, the largest public-private partnership in the history of the National Park Service.
The Restoration of an Iconic Landmark
Tarlton’s work at the Old Courthouse represents only the second major renovation in the building’s long and storied history, dating back to its construction from 1839 to 1862. A venerable landmark, the Old Courthouse is a favorite destination for students, families and visitors to St. Louis. The building has been a symbol for justice and is broadly considered as a flashpoint in American history. Within its courtrooms, more than 300 enslaved individuals petitioned for their freedom—most notably Dred and Harriet Scott—and in 1872, suffragist Virginia Minor filed her landmark case for a woman’s right to vote.
While respecting and maintaining the integrity of the interior spaces, Tarlton created improved safety and public accessibility throughout the Old Courthouse. The building’s first elevator was installed, and the heating, air conditioning and fire suppression systems were replaced to revitalize and maintain the building’s integrity. The team also created a unique scaffolding system for the installation of custom sprinkler heads at the top of the building’s soaring 192-foot rotunda dome.
Throughout the renovation, the Old Courthouse revealed remarkable details of its unique history, including original wood trusses with plaster ceilings and brick barrel vaults supported by cast iron beams. Basement excavation uncovered a century-old brick structure still connected to historic drains, carefully documented by an onsite archaeologist and historic architect. As part of the renovation, the Tarlton team meticulously restored 150 window frames with new sashes, hardware and pulleys, refinished original wood floors and safely removed asbestos and lead paint.
The Tarlton team on the Old Courthouse includes Josh Hodges, project manager; Malia Kalahele, senior project engineer; Jeff Damlow, superintendent; Mark Cain Jr., superintendent for concrete work; and Emily Douglas, accountant. Also supporting the project were Tarlton’s Roslyn Croft, director of community engagement; Jason Bretz, senior vice president; and Chief Operating Officer Sondra Rotty, project executive.
