Pittsylvania County courthouse readies for extreme makeover

Chatham’s Circuit Courthouse is getting a makeover.

Pittsylvania County will spend about $248,000 to restore the interior of the historic structure.

The renovation is expected to begin July 1 and finish Sept. 30, said Jeff Stodghill, president of PMA Planners & Architects, a firm in Newport News that specializes in historic buildings. PMA has been working with the Circuit Court on the renovations since January. Gretna-based Blair Construction Co. will perform the restoration, said Pittsylvania County Administrator Dan Sleeper.

The Pittsylvania County Courthouse, a National Historic Landmark, will have new carpet, with colors and patterns matching those from 1853, the year the facility was built, and the ceiling will be redone, said Sleeper.

Stodghill, who likened the courthouse’s historic significance to that of the National Monument and the White House, said the revamping will include repair, rehabilitation and restoration of interior plasterwork.

Cracks in the cornice will also be repaired and supporting structure will also be stabilized, Stodghill said.

The project will also entail light electrical work and restoration in the court’s side waiting rooms, Sleeper said.

Circuit court will be held in the old family courtroom behind the present court during the restoration, Sleeper said. Nothing new is being built and all the work involves restoration and repair, Sleeper said.

The County Board of Supervisors will appropriate funds from its general fund surplus to pay for the renovations.

The courthouse ceiling was partially upgraded in the 1980s.

The courthouse, built in the Greek Revival style, was the county’s third courthouse. The county’s court was located in Callands until 1777, when it moved to Chatham. The current courthouse replaced another that was constructed in 1783 a block west.

Contact Crane at or (434) 791-7987.