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Hurricane Michael blew through four years ago, leaving behind lots of damage in several towns throughout Charlotte County. Charlotte Court House was one of those. Now, years later, a grant will help repair damage to the old courthouse and five other buildings in the town.

The Virginia Department of Historical Resources (DHR) has awarded the project $100,000 to address moisture issues for the Charlotte Courthouse Complex, which was flooded and damaged due to Hurricane Michael in 2018.

According to Regional Planner Lauren Jones with the Commonwealth Regional Council (CRC), grant funds will be used to replace the current failing gutters and downspouts at the courthouse, as well as landscaping and excavating to move the water away from five of the courthouse complex buildings that flooded. The grant funds will further support the installation of two HVAC systems to increase the airflow and control humidity as a protective measure.

According to Executive Director Melody Foster with the CRC, the buildings included that are in need of repairs are the Historic Charlotte County Courthouse, the Charlotte County Jail (currently the Museum of Charlotte County), the Old Brick Tavern (now the Circuit Court Clerk’s office), the Commonwealth Attorney’s office and the Old Registrar’s/ Old Clerk’s office.

“Damages included water damage, drainage issues and erosion,” Foster said.

The National Park Service (NPS) awarded the DHR $4.7 million in funding to provide recovery assistance to historic resources damaged by hurricanes Florence and/or Michael in September and October 2018 that are listed or are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The award from the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) administered by the NPS enables DHR to make sub-awards to historic resources.