LOUDON, Tenn. (WATE) - A crew, including a structural engineer with Travelers Insurance, began surveying damage at the Loudon County Courthouse following a fire that devastated the second floor and roof of the 147-year-old structure. As county leaders wait to find out if any of their historic courthouse can be salvaged following the flames, the business of Loudon County government continues. 

For example, chancery court will begin next week in Loudon's old city hall. 

Brian Brown, Loudon County facilities director, said Monday, "I knew what everyone was going to be up against when I saw those flames coming from that building."

His team is working to equip a room in the old city hall with a judges bench, a judges chambers, public seating and security. 

"Everyone's had to come together with this and it's been a struggle. Basically, my department, we're just trying to work with everyone to help facilitate the court moving into this location at the old city hall here in Loudon. we're just trying to make everything work for them and answer any questions they may have and basically have this building set up and ready to go whenever they're ready to move in," Brown added. 

That coming together is a good thing that's followed the fire, he explained.

"If you need help, everyone comes together. there's probably not a better community I can think of in my mind of where people come together and make sure things get done and done right. that's what Loudon Strong is." 

Lisa Niles, the county clerk and master, said documents and filings in chancery court aren't stored digitally. Despite having to move documents from the old courthouse to the old city hall and consulting vendors to restore some documents damaged by water, she said things could have been worse.

Because many of her documents were stored in vaults, she says many were well-preserved. She called last week's tragedy indescribable.

"It's just something you don't anticipate, you prepare for, there are lots of ways you try to have procedures in place in case something like this does happen, but it's just indescribable." she said.

Niles echoed what Brown said about the community's efforts following the fire.

"We've also had phone calls from neighbors if you need something just call, friends, the courthouse was a center of our town, so we all pull together, everybody's willing to do whatever," she added.