Museum commission seeks design firm and storage space as it advances courthouse plan

The Berkeley County Museum Commission told the full commission on April 10 that it will publicly post a request for qualifications for architectural firms with experience in historic building restoration and museum planning, and asked the county to identify interim storage for newly donated artifacts.

Robert Mahaffrey, chair of the Museum Commission, said the RFQ will be posted with a two‑week submission window and that a review committee will present ranked recommendations at the commission's May 22 meeting. The RFQ language (reviewed by county legal staff) emphasizes experience with historic buildings and museums; the commission intends to carry the process forward for both the old courthouse and the annex building.

Mahaffrey described active efforts to coordinate with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation and with architects who have worked on similar courthouse-to-museum projects. He said the commission has received donations — including a large historic mill cog and artifacts connected to local history — and emphasized the need for secure storage and cataloging to prevent items from dispersing before exhibit space is ready. Commissioners discussed Baltimore Street property and other county-controlled spaces as possible interim storage; a county official noted Baltimore Street could offer roughly 2,000 square feet of dry storage as a near-term option while the commission seeks longer-term, climate-controlled space.

The commission said it will continue fundraising and grant-seeking after schematic drawings are completed; Mahaffrey estimated the full restoration and exhibit project will require substantial funding, likely entering the mid- to high-six-figure range for infrastructure and climate-control work, and larger for full build-out. The Museum Commission said it has a modest initial fund balance (the commission reported prior seed funds of $25,000) and that having schematic designs and drawings will strengthen applications to foundations and potential funders.

Why it matters: The old courthouse and annex house locally significant artifacts and histories — including the Norwalk 1914 automobile and civil-rights era records — that the commission says would support school, library and tourism programming once exhibit space is available. The commission requested guidance from the county on a storage location and committed to return a design recommendation to the board in May.

Next steps: RFQ posting (planned immediately), two-week submission window, committee review and recommendation at the May 22 meeting; county and commission to identify interim storage and pursue fundraising and grant opportunities.