By Matt de Simone
The Botetourt County Board of Supervisors and County Administrator Gary Larrowe have announced the appointment of a new committee tasked with guiding the reconstruction of historically accurate replicas of the Breckinridge Law Office and Hotel in Fincastle.
Committee members were approved during the Board of Supervisors’ September 23 meeting. The group includes: Steve Clinton, Brandon Nicely, Grace Parker, Patsy Dickerson, Jay Saunders, Ed Holt, and John Alderson. In addition, Larrowe has asked Rich Evans and David Moorman to provide support to the committee in its work.
The first meeting of the committee is scheduled for mid-October.
The appointments follow earlier direction from the board that the committee include a mix of representatives: two Supervisors, two members of local historical organizations, one representative from the Town of Fincastle, and one community member not affiliated with any historical group.
“I think this is a very important commitment,” Board Chair Amy White said to the board last Tuesday. “Let’s have updates from this group as discussions pursue. I think that would be fantastic to hear and happy to see that going forward.”
The project became necessary after the original 19th-century Breckinridge Law Office and Hotel buildings were demolished in August. County officials determined the structures were too deteriorated to be moved safely as part of the courthouse square redevelopment project.
The committee’s mission is to ensure that the planned replicas are designed and constructed in a way that preserves the historic presence of the buildings, which were long considered important landmarks in Fincastle’s courthouse square.
