The newly restored Columbus County Courthouse is open for business.
Clerk of Superior Court Jess Hill said the doors opened Monday. Staff of the clerk’s office and members of the Whiteville High football team completed the move Friday. County facility services helped with several metal shelving units, Hill said, but most of the work was done by the staff of the clerk’s office and several members of the Wolfpack gridiron squad. Hill’s son plays on the team and recruited some friends for the move.
“There was no cost to the taxpayers,” Hill said. “I know there was some concern about the possible expense for moving, but my staff handled it. Everybody pitched in and got it done.”
In addition to furniture and other items, 37 file cabinets were moved to the original courthouse.
The state Administrative Office of the Courts gave its final inspection of the new facility and equipment Saturday, Hill said, and the county got the nod to welcome the public Monday.
The clerk’s office, Resident Chief Superior Court Judge’s chambers, and restored superior court room are housed in the 1915 building. The courthouse restoration and renovation cost around $6.5 million, most of which came from grants obtained by Rep. Brenden Jones.
The building originally housed a courtroom and all county offices. In 1968, a major remodeling split the courtroom in half, and added offices for court personnel when county offices moved elsewhere. The clerk’s office was jammed into a portion of the first floor, where mold, moisture and space caused problems until the annex was built in 2011, and most court activities moved across the street. The annex will continue to have district and superior courtrooms upstairs as well as offices for various court departments.
The restored courtroom is now once again the largest in the county. It will be used for sessions of Superior Court, civil court, meetings and ceremonies, Hill said. The building was showcased in a grand opening earlier this month.
The former clerk’s suite will now be home to the new public defender’s office. Attorneys will have easier access to courtrooms and their clients in the new quarters.
For the first time, customers to the clerk’s office will also be able to go directly to the different divisions of the clerk’s office.
“We are proud of our courthouse,” Hill said. “It’s the people’s courthouse. This belongs to all the people of Columbus County. I’m just glad the commissioners saw the need to save the building and bring back some of its glory. A lot of our county’s history has come and gone through the courthouse. I hope it will be here and still be used for another hundred years.”
