|
1986 |
September |
Organized as Friends of
the Old Martin County Courthouse, Inc.
Approached the Martin County Commissioners (owners of
the building) about the possibility of saving the
courthouse. The group was given one year to raise its
first funds and develop a plan. |
|
|
Through the
leadership of Lib Brandon and a determined group of
residents, Friends of the Old Martin County
Courthouse received its non-profit status. |
|
1987
|
January |
Mr. and Mrs. Francis M.
Barnes made the first donation: $5000. It was followed
by over $6000 from other supporters during the group's
first full year. |
|
February |
Grant received from
National Trust for Historic preservation for structural
study. |
|
May
|
100th
Anniversary Courthouse Ball, continued annually through
1991. The annual events raised just under $25,000 for
the project. |
|
May |
NC Department of History
and Archives presented Henry Winslow, Chairman of Martin
County Commissioners, a bronze plaque showing courthouse
building on National Register of Historic Places as of
1979. |
|
September |
Martin County Extension
Homemakers held a Fall Happening and Auction at County
Governmental Center to benefit the courthouse project. |
|
November |
Chairman Lib
Brandon receives the President's Award from
the North Carolina Society of Historians, bringing
statewide recognition to the project. |
|
|
Friends raised
$13,000 in private and public funds and drew up a
plan of restoration. Having met its first goal, the
group was given the deed to the courthouse and land,
with conditions. They published a brochure detailing
the plans and hired an engineer to fully inspect the
structure. |
|
1988 |
October |
Dr.
Everett James, a native of Martin County and Doctor of
Radiology at Vanderbilt University, donated an art
collection to the courthouse project. Until the project
is completed and the collection can be properly
exhibited there, it is on loan to Martin Community
College where it can be seen in the Administrative
Building. The collection was valued at $34,550 at that
time. |
|
1987-88 |
|
The State of North
Carolina appropriated $49,100 for the project. |
|
1989 |
|
November |
Created the Memorial Window
Fund to honor judges, members of the Bar, elected
officials, and courthouse workers. |
|
1990 |
January |
A Quilt Project launched by
the Martin County Extension Homemakers featured an image
of the courthouse in the center and names of six hundred
Martin County residents. natives, groups and businesses embroidered in squares, on
"steps" and in the border of the image. Contributors
donated $10 to have names included. From 1990 to 1994, the
Living Quilt would raise more than $6500 for the
courthouse project. The quilt will hang in the restored
building. (Click here to see photos and read more about
the quilt project. |
|
April |
UNC-TV visited Williamston
to feature the Quilt Project and the Courthouse
restoration. Almanac host, Mike Grey, interviewed
locals. The program aired in October and November on the
PBS station. |
|
May |
The Courthouse restoration
project was selected by the NC Preservation Society fro
the coveted Marion Stedman Covington Foundation grant.
The $10,000 grant was considered to be significant, not
only in size, but in the recognition it brought from
this important preservation group. It was the Friends'
first private grant. "We have arrived!" wrote Friends'
chairman Lib Brandon. |
|
December |
Received a $10,000 grant
from the Hillsdale Foundation in Greensboro, NC, an arm
of the Vick Chemical Company, maker of Vicks Products.
Beth Landi wrote the proposal and grant and "did an
outstanding job..." |
|
1991 |
February |
Two judges chairs of the
1800's style were donated by former resident Harper
Peel. Appraised value was $3,000. |
|
|
August |
The front entranceway and
east side entrance were rebuilt to their original state
with carved wood paneling and wood panel doors under a
fan glass transom. The doors were a memorial honoring
Van G. and Dorothy Dixon Taylor and Helen Katherine
Taylor. |
|
1993 |
May |
A Spring Celebration Picnic
was held, along with walking tours at the courthouse.
|
|
1994 |
Spring |
The Quilt Project was
completed adding $6,330. Five hundred fifty three
individuals and 160 organizations are represented on the
work. |
|
1995 |
Spring |
A Spring Celebration raised
almost $3000. |
|
1994-97 |
|
The
State of North Carolina appropriated $148,000 for the
project during this period. |
|
2002 |
September |
Over 100 people attended an
open house celebrating work done on the first floor of
the courthouse. Tours were given by architect Paul
Stephens, historians Doris Wilson and Hugh Horton, Jr.
and board member Jim Batchelor. Williamston native
Thelma Brown Roy left a bequest totaling nearly $40,000. |
|
2005 |
November |
North
Carolina State Appropriation Grant of $6000. As of
November, NC Appropriations funding totaled $203,100.00. |
|
2006 |
October |
By the end of the fiscal
year in 2006, the project had received a total of
$643,246.18 in grants,
contributions and fundraising activities. Expenses had
totaled $547,442.33. |
|
Each year Christmas ornaments have
been sold to raise funds. Each gold-filled
ornament is a special design representing Martin
County. (Click here
to see ornaments.) |
|
|
|
*This
list is NOT intended to be a complete
representation of fundraising activities.
Details are available in the Report of Income and
Expenses and in annual letters mailed to Friends'
supporters. |
