Union County Courthouse

Protecting a 1913 Courthouse and the History Inside It

The Union County Courthouse has stood on West Main Street in Union, South Carolina since 1913. Designed by architect Anthony Ten Eyck Brown in the neoclassical style, it replaced the county's original 1825 courthouse by Robert Mills and still serves Union County today. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Union Downtown Historic District.

The front roof section below the dome was carrying three layers of old roofing, and the dome itself needed new protection. Historical records and documents are stored inside this important building, so every step had to protect what's inside, respect the building's original architecture, and work around active court proceedings.

A New TPO Roof and a Custom Copper Dome

Front Roof Replacement

Cannon's crews removed all three existing roof layers, with abatement handled to local, state and federal guidelines. The team installed 1.5" polyisocyanurate insulation over the deck, a ¼" per foot tapered insulation system to carry water off the roof, and a ¼" high-density coverboard, then mechanically attached a 60-mil white Johns Manville TPO membrane supplied through QXO.

Walls around the roof, including the base of the dome, received ½" plywood so the membrane could be flashed up them properly. To improve drainage, the team cut larger through-wall scuppers on each side of the roof and fabricated TPO-coated metal scuppers to fit, along with 24-gauge Kynar 500 counterflashing, conductor heads and downspouts.

Dome Refurbishment

The existing dome was sealed with DMI Ice and Watershield, then clad in 16 oz copper from N.B. Handy. Cannon's metal team custom-fabricated copper trim and flat-seam panels for every condition on the dome, following its original lines and stepped profile so the courthouse keeps the character its designers gave it.

Front Railings

To finish the front of the building, Cannon brought in Irwin Paint Contractors to soft wash, caulk, sand, prime and paint the upper band and front railings with two coats of finish paint.

A Landmark Ready for Its Next Century

The Union County Courthouse now has a fully replaced front roof, a sealed, copper-clad dome and a refreshed front, all completed while inside business carried on. As the copper weathers, it will develop the natural patina that suits a building of this age. Cannon backs the work with its workmanship warranty.

Cannon Roofing has been roofing buildings across the Upstate since 1951, so we understand the importance of legacy. Projects like this one are a chance to care for the places that hold a community's history.

Scope of Work

• Tear-off of three existing roof layers on the front roof section, with abatement to local, state and federal guidelines
• 1.5" polyiso insulation, ¼" per foot tapered insulation and ¼" high-density coverboard
• 60-mil white Johns Manville TPO membrane from QXO, mechanically attached
• Larger through-wall scuppers with custom TPO-coated metal scuppers, Kynar 500 counterflashing, conductor heads and downspouts
• DMI Ice and Watershield over the existing dome
• Custom 16 oz copper trim and flat-seam panels, copper from N.B. Handy
• Washing and painting of the upper band and front railings by Irwin Paint Contractors

Location: Union, SC

Roofing System: 60-mil white Johns Manville TPO membrane from QXO