Clerk's Office
Also known as: Old Clerk's Office
Why it's listed
Behind the town offices on Main Street in Chatham stands a small brick building that once held Pittsylvania County's records. The county court ordered a new clerk's office in 1812, and it was finished in 1813 to serve the courthouse built in 1783. The one-story, gable-roofed building has a Flemish-bond brick front, American-bond side walls, and a saw-tooth brick cornice on the east and west elevations. A two-room addition of 1833 made the plan L-shaped, but it was torn down after the county sold the property in 1853, when a new courthouse with its own clerk's office was built. Only the foundations remain. The office is the oldest public building in Chatham. From 1813 to 1852 it served William Tunstall, Jr., and his son William H. Tunstall, part of a family that held the clerkship for generations. The town now owns it, and the county historical society hopes to restore it and rebuild the addition.
Significance in brief: As part of a Virginia courthouse complex, it represents an important facet of the state's architectural and legal history. It is the oldest public building in Chatham and housed the county's official records. It was the office of the Tunstall family clerks from 1813 to 1852.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82004580, listed July 8, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Chatham |
|---|---|
| County | Pittsylvania County |
| Listed | July 8, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004580 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1812 |
| Areas of significance | Law, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition. Owned by the town and cared for by the county historical society, which hopes to restore it and rebuild the demolished 1833 addition. The interior floor has been removed, leaving only the hearth. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 36.82676, -79.40012 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82004580.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15210915
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.