The Chatham County Courthouse, built in 1881 and since Pittsboro’s most distinguished landmark, caught fire around 4:15 p.m. Thursday afternoon, and by 6 p.m. was a smoldering skeleton of its former self. The cause of the fire is at yet unknown, but the exterior of the building had been undergoing renovations, surrounded with scaffolding, and construction was underway at the time of the fire. No one was reportedly injured.
For Pittsboro, said Mayor Randy Voller, “this is the disaster of disasters. Even Sherman didn’t do this.”
As news helicopters hovered overhead and sirens wailed, a thin blanket of smoke, redolent of a massive campfire, wafted up Hillsboro Street, and locals gathered and watched and collectively shook their heads in mourning. Damage appeared fairly exhaustive. — Taylor Sisk
Update — This from Chatham County officials this evening:
Update on Chatham County Courthouse Fire
PITTSBORO—As of 9:15 pm, firefighters had made progress in controlling the fire in the Historic County Courthouse, but hot spots were still popping up periodically. The clock tower and third floor are severely damaged, with other areas sustaining major water and smoke damage.
Pittsboro Fire Chief Darryl Griffin stated in a news briefing at 8:30 pm that the fire appears to have started in the attic. Chatham County Fire Marshal Thomas Bender will work with the SBI to investigate the fire over the next few weeks.
John Poteat with the Town of Pittsboro’s Public Utilities reported that the water supply is fine and that residences should not have major problems with water this evening.
With the amount of smoke substantially reduced over the past two hours, Chatham County did not have residents come to the temporary shelter by 8 pm so it was closed shortly thereafter. If residents do have trouble breathing for any reason, they should call 911 for assistance.
The traffic circle around the courthouse will be closed tomorrow, Friday, March 25, so residents and businesses should find other routes to get around Pittsboro. School buses also may have to be rerouted as well. The public should avoid walking around the courthouse for safety reasons.
I am so sad now. This is the worst event that has struck Pittsboro for as long as I know. This is a tragedy. The worst part is that none of this would have happened if we hadn’t been doing this reconstruction that is done every ten years. I passed by in my car at about 4:30, and I can’t believe I didn’t see anything. I wish I had been able to stop it somehow. Goodbye, Pittsboro courthouse, we love you.
So sad, so tragic. A historical landmark gone. There are no words.
So sad. Is it really gone? The article makes it sound a LOT worse than the statement does.
I lived in Pittsboro ande traveled that circle many times…I now live in Michigan but NC will always be home…when I go back it will be sad not to see that big beautiful courthouse standing…I’m am sorry for the loss of the town….
Folks!
THIS BUILDING CAN BE RESTORED !!!!!!
RESTORATION IS CHEAPER THAN NEW CONSTRUCTION !!!!!!
WHY ARE YOU GIVING UP AND PRESUMING DEMOLITION BEFORE ANY ARCHITECTS OR ENGINEERS HAVE EXAMINED IT ????
In my 45 years of experience in Historic Preservation, I have seen buildings in far worse condition restored. It all depends on your commitment to your history, your understanding of the commercial value of the Courthouse itself as a VISUAL and EMOTIONAL landmark, and the cost of restoration.
The strongest segment of the tourism industry is Heritage Tourism. If you demolish this landmark Courthouse, you destroy the image of your town for yourselves and visitors who might have spent money there. This is the visceral heart of your community. Save it.
The Courthouse will help you preserve your market share of retail and wholesale sales for your region, and can actually be used to recapture sales lost to regional malls, etc.
If you really do love this Courthouse as a centerpiece for your community and the region, then raising the money to close any gap between the insurance settlement and total restoration will be easy. For example, in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Iverson Mansion was saved in part by pasting coupons to products in stores around town. Shoppers dropped the savings into collection boxes marked “Iverson.†Just as importantly, the boxes reminded everyone of the need to save this historic building. It worked.
There will be donations from across the nation. Foundations still give Millions away every year. Apply as soon as you have restoration plans in hand. They might even help with that cost too.
New construction is much more expensive than restoration. What is more, your Courthouse needs extensive repairs, not a complete replacement. Demolition will equal a significant portion of restoration. Perhaps most of it. Furthermore, restoration can be completed in stages. Get the Courthouse back in use, then repair and replace damaged interior decorations and the tower in stages.
You can save this Landmark Courthouse. Just decide you can do it.
Gregory Hubbard, Sanford, Maine
I heard that the Historical Society had Colonial Records dating all the way back to the Revolution in a particular room. I wonder if those records burned? I hope they were spared, even if some are lost I hope that some can be restored or salvaged.
It is also a shame to loose a really cool looking building like this.
While my husband and I were sitting in Hardy’s Restaurant one day, I took a break from munching and looked out the window toward the courthouse. It appeared to be decorated with the most ornate little points at the peak, the eaves, and all along the curved ridges of the dome. Then I realized that some of the points were moving; that what I was seeing were scores (maybe hundreds) of birds! It was just amazing how they arranged themselves as if to accentuate the beautiful architecture of that grand building. We are not residents of Pittsboro, but we also feel a sense of loss, and will never forget the magic of that sight.
this is the worst news that ive heard from Pittsboro… it was shocking i couldnt believe that the court house is gone…. Im sorry for the county’s loss.
but i believe in the high class people and hopefully they will all come togather and do their best..
I agree that the Pittsboro courthouse can be restored. As a Professor at NC State teaching Engineers – I know it can be restored. The builders & restorers can use a technique termed ‘Facade Retention” which keeps the outer envelope of the building still standing.
The technique of Facade Retention is where all the main outer walls are propped up using large steel rakers, and these in turn are also tied (bolted) into the facade of the structure.
Once the steel rakers are in place – they then remove all the damaged inner floors and replace them with an inner steel frame and tie (bolt) all the outer walls back to the frame and finally remove the steel rakers.
This type of work has been used for quite some time in England & Europe to many landmark buildings which have fallen into disrepair (or through fire) (including the ‘Old Vic’) where a major portion of a the building was removed then brought back to its former self.
Let us preserve the old courthouse of Pittsboro.