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JOSEPH K. OPPERMANN-ARCHITECT, P.A. <br />Historic Architecture & Architectural Conservation <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />539 North Trade Street • Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27101 <br />(336) 721-1711 • Fax (336) 721-1712 • office@jkoa.net <br /> <br /> <br />25 February 2025 <br /> <br />Ms. Angel Barnes <br />Orange County, Asset Management Services <br />300 West Tryon Street <br />Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278 <br /> <br />Re: RFQ No. 367-OC5428 <br /> Professional Services for the Historic Courthouse Square – Building and Grounds <br />Improvements <br /> Hillsborough, Orange County, North Carolina <br /> <br />Dear Ms. Barnes: <br /> <br />As requested, Joseph K. Oppermann – Architect, P.A. (JKOA) is pleased to submit this fee <br />proposal for professional architecture and engineering services for the Building and Grounds <br />Improvements at the Historic Courthouse Square in Hillsborough, North Carolina. <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />The historic Orange County Courthouse (built 1844-46) is widely recognized as one of the <br />finest and best-preserved Greek Revival-style courthouses in the state. The handsome brick <br />structure with its prominent original clock tower is the undisputed centerpiece of <br />Hillsborough’s historic district. Its hillside site, consisting of a full block, has a long and <br />significant history, beginning with the construction of the county’s first courthouse on this <br />site in 1757. A second courthouse dating to 1790 was built there, as were two jail buildings <br />and the office for the Town’s mayor. The first courthouse and its surrounding grounds <br />figured prominently in North Carolina’s history as the setting for numerous events leading <br />up to the Regulator conflicts between 1768 and 1771. The courthouse is individually listed <br />on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the surrounding grounds. <br /> <br />The existing landscaping, plantings, and pedestrian amenities on the Old Courthouse Square <br />are the products of several civic improvement projects, beginning with work done by the <br />WPA during the 1930s when old stones from the walls of the 1837 jail building were <br />repurposed to create the present network of attractive but uneven stone-paved sidewalks and <br />steps, which are proving to be hazardous to pedestrians. Current issues include accessibility, <br />lighting, drainage, inappropriate/oversized site plantings, and an absence of public seating. <br />The square also lacks any wayfinding signage or interpretive panels to provide information <br />about the important and complex role this site played in local and state history. <br /> <br />The historic courthouse was last renovated and repaired in 1985 when extensive work was <br />carried out in many areas to address structural issues, as well as to make significant <br />improvements to accessibility by providing elevator access, a new internal fire stair, and two <br />small accessible restrooms on the second floor adjacent to the courtroom. In 2017, the <br />courthouse square was the subject of an archaeological survey and research project that <br />included a thorough survey using ground-penetrating radar. <br />Docusign Envelope ID: 3DD626EF-3280-4209-9EC4-CB2ED42A61FB