Augusta County Courthouse looking for volunteers for historic preservation

AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - The Augusta County Courthouse is in need of volunteers to help sort, file and digitize records dating back hundreds of years.

“Augusta County used to comprise in the colonial period what is now 8 states. We have records that are important to Virginia but other states as well,” Steve Landes, Augusta County Courthouse clerk, said.

Now Landes and his team are looking for help in the preservation of thousands of historic records. Everything from marriage licenses to property deeds and bond books.

“We’ve got books that have got list upon list upon list upon list; this was an entry book for Augusta County from 1780 to 1805,” he added.

Volunteers would help organize, file and digitize the documents to make them available to the community for years to come.

“Once the document deteriorated in another one hundred or two hundred years you just won’t be able to access it. Researchers can’t use it if you are looking for family history. If you are looking about a property if you are looking to find marriages, any of the things we keep which is basically not only the county’s history but its family history,” Landes explained.

The clerk’s office says they are happy to work around schedules. Landes says they already have about ten volunteers but could use more.

Those interested in helping out can call the clerk’s office at 540-245-5321 to get started.

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