HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-18-2016-13-2 - Information Item - Memorandum - Old Courthouse Square Project - Norwood Jones Office Preservation INFORMATION ITEM 1
O .NE COUNTY
101010, 4 1011111,000
Holit,,,,IrY11111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111
Department of Environment,
Agriculture, Parks &Recreation
MEMORANDUM
To: David Stancil, DEAPR Director
From: Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator
Date: October 12, 2016
Re: Old Courthouse Square Project / Norwood Jones Office
Preservation
Please find attached an update on planned restoration and landscape
improvements to two adjoining locations in downtown Hillsborough.
Old Courthouse Square Landscape
DEAPR and AMS are collaborating on a project to develop a comprehensive
long-range landscaping master plan to guide and direct all future site
development and utility work on the Old Courthouse Square. The historic Orange
County Courthouse (built in 1845) is widely recognized as one of the finest and
best preserved Greek Revival-style courthouses in the state. The handsome
brick structure with its prominent clock tower is the undisputed centerpiece of
Hillsborough's historic district. Its hillside site, consisting of a full block, has a long
and significant history, beginning with the construction of the county's first
courthouse in Hillsborough, built in 1757. A second courthouse dating to about
1790 was built there, as were two jail buildings and the office for the Town's
mayor. The first courthouse and its surrounding grounds figured prominently in
North Carolina's history as the setting for numerous events leading up to the
Regulator conflicts between 1768 and 1771.
The existing landscaping, plantings and pedestrian amenities on the Old
Courthouse Square are outdated, aging products of a series of civic projects and
plantings dating back to the work done by the WPA during the 1930s. The
grounds do not present a positive appearance to the thousands of visitors that
come to Hillsborough each year, or to the many visitors who use the grounds for
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks&Recreation
PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2510
Fax: (919) 644-3351
2
the Town's popular "Last Fridays" events during the summer. Accessibility is
hampered in some areas, lighting is poor and there are limited seating areas on
the grounds. There are no signs or interpretive exhibits to allow visitors to learn
more about this important building and its setting.
DEAPR and AMS have developed this project to implement a phased approach
to improving the appearance and utility of the Old Courthouse Square, with
encouragement and support from the Town. The first step is to fully document
the site's historical and archaeological significance, then use those findings to
help develop a master plan for all future landscape work, site improvements and
accessibility. The project will also have an educational component, to include
developing appropriately designed interpretive signage for visitors.
The project will be phased over two years, starting with a comprehensive
assessment of the historic and cultural significance of the Old Courthouse
Square, in accordance with the County's Cultural and Archaeological Policy.
Work will be carried out by highly qualified archaeologists, cultural landscape
experts and historians. These research findings will be carefully documented, to
include detailed mapping of all known cultural resources and plantings, along
with an in-depth historical research report that compiles the documentary history
of the Old Courthouse Square and its landscape. This includes a public
education component, information meetings and presentations. These findings
will make it possible to avoid causing damage important cultural resources when
future site work is carried out.
In the second year, a qualified team of a site planning and landscape experts will
utilize the research findings to develop a comprehensive master plan to guide
current and future landscaping, plantings, utilities and all other site work carried
out at the Court House square. The master planning process will include
substantive input from all appropriate stakeholders, including the Town of
Hillsborough's Historic District Commission and Tree Board, as well as AMS and
DEAPR staff. A final master plan will be presented to the BOCC with for review
and consideration for adoption.
Norwood-Jones Law Office Preservation Project
The oldest county-owned building around the Old Courthouse Square is the
small brick building known as the Norwood-Jones Law Office. It was built c.
1820, probably for William Norwood, a prominent local attorney and a judge of
the North Carolina Supreme Court. This structure was carefully restored in the
late 1990s with funding provided by the Historic Preservation Fund of
Hillsborough. Since then, it has been maintained by the County and used by the
Alliance for Historic Hillsborough as a feature for their downtown walking tours.
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks&Recreation
PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2510
Fax: (919) 644-3351
3
The building now requires some minor repairs to ensure its continued long-term
preservation. Work to be carried out includes: repointing deteriorated mortar
joints; replacing the worn out gutter on the north side; repairing missing or
damaged wood shingles on the roof; installing a new reproduction period-style
front door to replace the existing rotted door; and painting all exterior wood trim
and shutters. Funding assistance for this work will be provided by the Historic
Preservation Fund of Hillsborough, along with County repair funds. Work will be
supervised by AMS and DEAPR staff.
Copies:Jeff Thompson, AMS Director
Peter Sandbeck, Cultural Resources Coordinator
Marabeth Carr, Landscape Architect
Orange County Department of Environment, Agriculture, Parks&Recreation
PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Phone: (919) 245-2510
Fax: (919) 644-3351