PITTSBORO -- A county task force has recommended keeping a courtroom on the second floor of a rebuilt Chatham County courthouse and adding museum and other space on the first floor to attract more visitors.
A fire that started in the roof March 25 largely gutted the 129-year-old building, casting doubt on whether any of the historic structure off the downtown traffic circle could be saved. Commissioners decided unanimously to move ahead with restoration.
The Chatham County Historic Courthouse Task Force presented its report today to the Board of Commissioners on recommended uses of the courthouse.
The report noted that a large majority of the members recommends retaining a courtroom on the second floor, one that would look as much like the old courtroom as possible. However, it also should feature updated sound, lighting and technology as well as being easily accessible to disabled visitors.
The task force suggested that the county develop a policy on public use of the courtroom and other meeting spaces in the building. This would include rules and any applicable fees for use by various groups and purposes, including public meetings, historical programs, lectures, choral groups, readings, plays and other non-commercial uses.
Co-Chair Mimi Hanner said that most task force members agreed that the use of the first floor should continue to house the Chatham Historical Association and should include museum space as well. “However, they felt that the county should add more first floor functions that attract visitors. This might include a visitors’ center, art displays and additional educational or meeting space. These are all things that would draw people into our lovely courthouse and help promote the downtown area as well.”
As requested, the task force considered the challenges of parking, pedestrian safety and signage. “These are important issues to address, especially if we attract more visitors to the courthouse,” said Hobbs. “We compiled several options to explore, such as speed bumps, more visible crosswalks with flashing lights, wider raised sidewalks around the courthouse, improved directional signage, and underground utility lines.”
The commissioners did not charge the task force with exploring the exterior of the building, which will look the same or nearly the same as before. It also did not study such factors as costs, space needs, design details or any other issues other than functions. The county worked with Fountainworks, a Raleigh company, to facilitate the task force process.
Commissioners Chairwoman Sally Kost said that the commissioners will review the report over the next few weeks. “While we have a lot of information to review, we expect to take action on this fairly soon because we need to move forward with the rebuilding process. We have until March 25, 2013 to complete its construction.”
