The copper statue, which is more than 120 years old, was removed from her perch in October and taken to Morgantown for repairs by the Vandalia Bronze, LLC. 

“We were really excited to see Lady Justice return to the courthouse, she looks amazing,” Randolph County Commission President David Kesling told The Inter-Mountain. “They (Vandalia Bronze) took her back to her original color, so she may look a little different to some people. But the way she is now, after all the repairs have been made, is the way she originally looked.”

In years past, Lady Justice had lost fingers and toes due to ice sliding off the top of the courthouse. The area around the base of the statue was severely cracked during a spring storm in April 2024. 

“Vandalia Bronze fixed all of the damage the statue had endured over the years,” Kesling said. “Over the years, ice that fell off the roof broke the top of her sword, her thumb, and other things. She was also cracked in several different spots. So all of that has been replaced and she was taken back to her original color.”

Vandalia Bronze employees make sure everything is in order with ‘Lady Justice’ at the Randolph County Courthouse. The statue was damaged during a storm last year.

Kesling said the county paid only $75 for the statue when it was purchased brand-new. The cost for the restoration for Lady Justice was $33,000, he noted.

“The insurance company paid for the statue to be taken down and put back up,” Kesling said. “They (insurance company) have told us that any damage that was caused from the storm, because the insurance will cover that. So we are going to be able to get a portion of that $33,00 back from the insurance company.”

Kesling said ice breakers will be installed around the statue so that it doesn’t sustain any more damage from ice sliding off the roof.

The Randolph County Commission will hold a regular meeting Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at the Wees Courthouse Annex.

Submitted photo Randolph County Commission President David Kesling, County Clerk Brenda Wiseman and Vandalia Bronze’s Jamie Lester pose with ‘Lady Justice.’