By Matt de Simone
Members of the Botetourt County maintenance crew joined Donald and Caroline Naysmith to help clear out the Old Jail in Fincastle last Friday morning. Last month, the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors voted to moved forward with the revitalization of the historic jail, which is to eventually feature a museum on the upper levels and a gift shop downstairs.
Additionally, the Botetourt Preservation Partnership (BPP) revealed the banners along the fencing surrounding the courthouse renovation project. The signs were installed by county workers on Friday morning.
One of the educational features of these banners is a QR code that visitors may scan while framing the code with their phone’s camera, tapping on the link that pops up, and visiting a website featuring an audio recording from Robin Reed with historical information about what is featured on the banner.
The banners include: 1770 Botetourt County and its impact, sites and scenes from present day Botetourt County – Fincastle, Buchanan, Troutville, Daleville/Amsterdam, Eagle Rock, Mill Creek area, and Blue Ridge. This project was made possible by the generous donations of the following individuals and businesses: Mary Bess Smith, Richard Flora, the Obenshain family (Joe, Elizabeth, and Scott, MD), Matt and Mary Ann Miller, Delegate Terry L. Austin, Bob Patterson, First Bank, Bank of Botetourt, Austin Electric, John Alderson Agency, Virginia Mountain Mortgage, Historic Fincastle, Inc. and Botetourt County Historical Society and Museum.