Board moves to form Luther P. Jackson advisory committee to guide restoration and programming

The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors moved to establish an advisory committee to provide guidance on the development and operations of the Luther P. Jackson complex.

County staff described the proposed committee’s makeup: county staff, two representatives from the Board of Supervisors and five at-large community members, with the board to review applications and appoint community representatives. Speaker 3 said the committee’s responsibilities would include historical interpretation, advising on maintenance and renovations, identifying programming and pursuing grant opportunities.

"One of the most important things we can do with a historical building is tell the story of that building so that we don't lose it for future generations," Speaker 3 said, describing interpretive work such as visual aids and oral histories. Staff said they have applied for a $5,000 rapid grant through Virginia Humanities, plan to pursue a rolling Virginia Humanities grant (up to $25,000), intend to apply for the Department of Historic Resources spring 2025 grant, and have identified a $50,000 infrastructure grant through the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services plus roughly $50,000 in solar project funding targeted to recreation sites.

Board members expressed support for forming the committee and asked staff to bring formal applications and a draft mission statement and work plan for future consideration.

What’s next: staff will accept applications for the at-large seats, bring candidate lists to the board for appointment, finalize committee mission and work plan, and prepare grant applications tied to the committee’s recommendations.