June 23, 2026
The entrance to the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas adjacent to the Historic Transylvania County Courthouse shortly after a rainstorm in downtown Brevard on Monday, June 22. Jonathan Rich / BrevardBeagle.com
Jonathan Rich
BrevardBeagle.com
The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas asked the Transylvania County Board of Commissioners to fund repairs to a failing heat and air conditioning system Monday night and the conversation turned into a discussion regarding the museum’s lease of the property and possible relocation to the Historic Transylvania County Courthouse when that high-profile real estate becomes available.
Transylvania County has supported the non-profit regional education museum since it opened in 2018 when the county entered a lease for the vacant administration building next to the courthouse for $625 a month, a price that has not changed in the past eight years.
Monday night County Commissioners reviewed a request from the VHMoC administration noting that one HVAC unit is completely down at this time and a section of roof needs to be replaced based on age and condition, so commissioners were asked to decide if further public investment in the building made sense.
“The current lease is set to expire at the end of June and equates to a lease rate of $2 a square foot, including utilities,” explained County Manager Jaime Laughter. “The HVAC system was a concern with the first least agreement and staff cannot authorize spending county funds for a replacement per the lease agreement.”
In 2022, volunteers from the Veterans’ History Museum of the Carolinas reassembled and displayed a he 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA (45) motorcycle and a 1943 WWII Willys Jeep inside the former county administration building. VHMotC
Laughter explained the property was scheduled for demolition when a group of veterans initially expressed interest in redeveloping the property as a non-profit educational museum honoring local miltary veterans and that as the current tenants are nearing the end of their 10-year lease it was prudent to consider the organization’s future location and future funding, including the museum administration’s hope to move into the Historic Transylvania Courthouse once those operations relocate to a new facility on Neely Road adjacent to the county jail in 2028.
“If the commissioners want to keep the building, the reports provide trade cost of maintenance projects that will be needed over the next 10 years,” Laughter said. “The 10-year cost of the existing courthouse opens the door for more meaningful discussions on the future user/users of the existing space once the function is relocated in late 2028. Targeting recoup of utility and 10-year maintenance costs will prevent additional property tax pressure already anticipated by the new courthouse facility. The military museum, TDA (Tourism Development Authority), and the City of Brevard have already expressed interest in at least part of the existing courthouse.”
To recoup and break even on the cost of maintenance on each building during the next ten years, Laughter explained it would take almost $21/square foot, including utilities, to lease the existing courthouse building and $12/square foot to continue to lease the former administration/museum building. Both of these structures were found to be in below-average condition on the recent capital needs buildings assessment.
“Commissioners have discussed the possibility of appointing a committee to study the future use of the courthouse, among other ways to determine use after the court function relocates,” Laughter said. “The cost information provides a starting parameter that communicates how much a user or users would need to be able to offset for the county to break even on the two buildings. This can be used as starting guidance to an advisory committee or as part of a request for proposals that would allow any interested party to propose a use and demonstrate that they can cover those expenses.”
The estimated cost to completely replace the failing HVAC systems at the museum’s current location is at least $20,000. Monday night the Commissioners decided to extend the current lease and consider thinking about possible tenants at the adjacent courthouse when it becomes available in two years’ time.
“I’ll make it a motion that we extend the current lease two years while we evaluate options moving forward for the Museum and determination of what’s going to be available in the old Courthouse,” said retired Marine Col. Commissioner Larry Chapman. “We’re not going to put big money into it and $20,000 is big money … if it’s $5,000 for a temporary fix, maybe they can do that. I don’t know what their financial situation is, but I’m sure they are not going to do $20,000. Then it’s going to be back in their situation what the options are and if they can live with it.”
The current contract with the Museum stipulates they must give a six-month notice before vacating the county property and Commissioner Teresa McCall said the timing might be right for the Museum to relocate along with other civic entities, when the historic Courthouse becomes available and has some remodeling and repair work done for any future tenants.
“The current courthouse, at the point that its vacated, before it can be occupied, there’s got to be some work done,” McCall said, referring to roof replacements and other ongoing structural issues with the aging building. “I think there’s going to be more than one tenant that will be the solution for the existing courthouse. I agree it would be wise to look at issuing some requests for proposals to see what the interest is, and that includes to see what the interest is of the Veterans Museum.”
“I also agree the Veterans Museum is a gem that is important to this community,” McCall said. “It’s been an asset to this county, so I think there are some things that we can do to gather some information to help us make decisions in the next coming months.”
David Morrow, president of the Veterans Museum’s Board of Directors, thanked the Commissioner’s for their decision during public comment time at the end of the meeting.
“Thank you for extending the lease for two more years and we would like to be involved in the HVAC work that’s going to be needed,” Morrow said before asking the repairs to be made before the Independence Day holiday. “I’m sure some folks in the Museum today were pretty warm”