The reconstruction of Fincastle’s historic James Breckinridge Law Office and Western Hotel took another step forward as the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors received an update at the Aug. 25 meeting on the project’s conceptual design.
Capital Projects Manager Rich Evans introduced Allison Blanton, an architectural historian with Hill Studio, and Carter Smith, the project’s architect, who presented the design to the board.
Blanton said the project team has completed the conceptual design after working through the building’s history, potential uses and relationship to the planned courthouse square improvements.
The project initially envisioned reconstructing the Breckinridge Law Office as a stand-alone building along with a separate building representing the Western Hotel. After studying how the two structures could fit on the available site, however, the advisory committee determined that two separate buildings would not be practical.
“There really was not enough room on the site to do two stand-alone buildings, nor would there be sufficient budget to do that,” Blanton said.
The conceptual design instead combines the two historic periods into a single reconstructed building.
The original 1790s Breckinridge Law Office will receive the most historically accurate treatment, with the interior intended to be replicated to museum-quality standards. The remainder of the building will provide flexible, unfinished “white box” space that can accommodate a future tenant or other community use.
Blanton said the design will tell the story of the building’s evolution through its exterior.
The original law office was later expanded during the 19th century and eventually became part of the Western Hotel, which was associated with Fincastle’s development as a resort community. The proposed reconstruction will incorporate different brick patterns, colors and materials to help illustrate those changes.
The project team also benefited from extensive documentation of the original building before it was demolished, including work by historic preservation specialists.
Historic materials salvaged from the original building also could be reused in portions of the reconstruction, particularly in the Breckinridge Law Office section.
The proposed building would include a 494-square-foot recreation of the James Breckinridge Law Office, 1,266 square feet of multi-purpose interior space, 154 square feet of restrooms and 349 square feet of balcony space.
The first floor would include the reconstructed law office, flexible multi-purpose space and an area corresponding to an 1830s addition to the original law office.
The former Western Hotel portion would include a large, two-story open space. Blanton said the space could provide a unique opportunity for future use in downtown Fincastle.
The project also includes two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant restrooms. One could potentially be accessed from outside the building for use during downtown events, while the other would serve the interior.
Blanton said the advisory committee considered a number of potential uses for the building before settling on the flexible-space concept.
The approach was informed in part by a market analysis completed as part of the Town of Fincastle’s revitalization planning, as well as input from members of the advisory committee and other community representatives.
“We’ve come up with this concept that has been recommended by the advisory committee,” Blanton said.
She said initial conversations with members of the construction industry indicate the proposed design can be constructed within the project’s allocated budget.
The conceptual design also takes into account the building’s location within the planned courthouse square.
Blanton said the project team determined that constructing two separate buildings would interfere with available parking and the memorial garden, where some of the planned monuments already have been placed.
The single-building concept maintains the same general square footage as the historic structure while fitting within the planned site.
The presentation included site plans, floor plans, elevations and renderings showing how the reconstructed building would fit into the courthouse square.
Blanton said the project team is currently preparing a final report on the conceptual design.
The project also has support from Del. Terry Austin, who Blanton said is working with Colonial Williamsburg on the possibility of obtaining historically appropriate bricks for the reconstruction.
The reconstruction is part of the county’s broader courthouse square project and is intended to preserve and interpret an important part of Fincastle’s and Botetourt County’s history while creating flexible space that could contribute to downtown revitalization.
Project updates can be followed through the county’s online project tracker at botetourtva.gov/projects.
~ Fincastle Herald staff report
