Main Street Lexington previews Courthouse Square renovation, sets April 30 dedication

Rebecca Logan of Main Street Lexington briefed the council on the Courthouse Square renovation, saying the design “would maximize positive community and personal usage, improve overall appearance, accessibility, and landscape design” and noted the project’s aim to enhance and preserve the Veterans Memorial.

The project moved the Veterans Memorial about 25 feet north to improve accessibility and open space, Logan said, and work timed to allow completion before the Veterans Day celebration. She credited local contractors and donors and said that, after a failed Virginia 2050 grant application in October, the design committee and community donors secured the necessary funding and the city provided a line of credit to bridge pledged funds.

Logan described site work completed this winter — new pavers along Lawyer’s Row, poured footers, repaired sidewalks and relaid bricks, planting and the installation of precast concrete elements — and said interpretive signage will explain Rockbridge County’s origins, the design significance of the jail by Thomas U. Walter, and local military history. “One explains the origin of Rockbridge County and Lexington,” she said, and noted an audio version of the signs for visitors with limited reading ability.

Council members praised the effort. Council member Smith said, “First I want to say how excited I am to see this project come to completion. It's really going to open up that space and really be the welcoming part of downtown,” and asked specifically about preserving a Lewis and Clark marker; Logan replied that the marker will be cleaned and returned, likely near the Hess building.

Project managers also described lighting changes approved by the Architectural Review Board: smaller, recessed fixtures in plant guards will replace the originally proposed lamp posts, saving the city ongoing maintenance costs and avoiding Dominion Energy ownership and monthly charges. A bronze donor plaque and a restored fountain on Lawyer’s Row were also confirmed.

Organizers said a dedication ceremony is set for April 30 and that most construction is expected to be 90% complete by then, with plantings and other weather-dependent work finishing afterward. Logan said the group expects to accelerate payments against the city line of credit as additional donor funds arrive and that any additional donations received will be passed on to the city.

The council thanked Main Street Lexington and its contractors and volunteers; no action was required at the meeting.