Senator Pacheco secures funding for Bristol County Superior Court House

Boston — Dean of the Massachusetts Senate Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton) has secured funding in the Senate version of the FY25 state budget that will go to Bristol County for the restoration and replacement of the torch to the rooftop of the Bristol County Superior Court House building in Taunton, along with funding for renewable and sustainable initiatives at the courthouse.

$500,000 will go toward restoring and replacing the iconic copper flame sculpture that sat atop the historic Superior Courthouse in downtown Taunton, which was removed in 2003 due to safety concerns.

“This funding is necessary for the restoration of the Bristol County Superior Court House building,” said Senator Pacheco. “For more than 20 years, this courthouse has been without what was once an iconic symbol of downtown Taunton.”

Senator Pacheco also secured $250,000 for Bristol County Superior Court House in Taunton to use on renewable and sustainable initiatives at the 130-year-old courthouse building, which was built in 1894 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

“It is imperative that we not just invest in preserving our most historic buildings, but also that we make investments into upgrading and updating them to meet our goals for a clean, renewable energy future,” said Senator Pacheco. “This funding will allow Bristol County to achieve that goal with these initiatives and long-overdue investments into the Bristol County Superior Court House in Taunton.”

The investments in this amendment are part of a greater investment into court facilities via a combination of federal ARPA funding from the Biden administration, Bristol County, and a significant amount of state funding.

The amendment, which was filed by Senator Pacheco, was adopted during the Senate FY25 budget debate on Tuesday.