Chatham County seeks public input on rebuilding courthouse

More than two months after a fire heavily damaged the Chatham County Courthouse, county officials are asking members of the public to attend a "workshop style" forum to share their ideas on the rebuilding effort. 

The forum will be held June 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Northwood High School’s media center in Pittsboro.

"The forum is an opportunity for residents to provide ideas on possible functions and uses for the courthouse as the building is rebuilt," county officials said in a news release. "The forum will be in a 'workshop style' format with ample time for dialogue and exchange of ideas."

Public input will be forwarded to a newly-formed county task force charged with studying and making recommendations to the Board of Commissioners about the potential use of the historic Courthouse.

The task force meets for the first time on June 14 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Northwood High’s media center. The task force will meet during the summer and is expected to provide some recommendations to the commissioners in August.

A March 25 fire gutted the courthouse, which was built in 1881, and caused its iconic clock tower to collapse. Fire Marshal Thomas Bender ruled the fire was accidentally started by workers involved in an exterior renovation and that the blaze quickly spread in the building's attic.