BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — A fire damaged the Historic Martin County Courthouse Monday night.
Officials confirmed the fire broke out around 7:45 p.m. on the second floor of the east wing of the structure.
Fire department crews arrived to find fire venting from second-story windows on the east side of the old courthouse.
Firefighters conducted an interior attack and contained the blaze to the room where it started, which formerly served as the county finance office.
Within the hour, the fire was extinguished and crews were monitoring for hot spots.
Inez firefighter Jarrod Slone said at the scene that the cause of the fire had not been determined.
“It looks like it started in the room that contains the air conditioning unit upstairs,” Slone said just before going onto the roof to access the attic through the roof latches.
No injuries were reported as the building was uninhabited.
Fire damage was mostly contained to the stairwell, the old finance office and windows on the east side. However, the smoke did enter other areas of the building.
The courthouse was built in 1939-41 with the help of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal/Work Progress Administration Program. Designed by architect Paul Jones Arnett, the building is a “T” shape with a center wing extending south.
The hand-hewn stone came from nearby mountains to make the building’s structure, while local forests provided the lumber for the building’s ornate woodwork.
The north front has three bays, with the center section rising to a gabled roof. A square wood cupola with a dome sits atop the roof in the center. Entrances are on each side of the center bay.
The courthouse has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2006.
Until 2016, the building served as the county government center. After the new government center opened next door, the building sat vacant until the Martin County Tourism Commission and countless volunteers began working to restore it.
Plans for the building include a wedding and events venue, a commercial kitchen and a cultural museum.
Tourism Commission chairperson Nita Collier said Servpro arrived Tuesday and started cleaning. According to Collier, Servpro expects to finish the cleanup in about three weeks.
“It was such a shocker,” Collier said. “The worst loss will be those windows. Not sure how we can replace that, but we will do the best we can.”
Collier intends to keep a positive attitude, determined to see it “come out better on the other side.”
Inez Fire chief Lee Gauze said over 40 firefighters and nine apparatus from five fire departments responded. Those included Inez, Warfield, Kermit, Turkey and Pigeon Roost. Martin County Rescue also provided support.
“We sincerely thank all the area departments for their assistance,” Gauze said.
