Accomack and Northampton Circuit Courts awarded preservation grants for court records

Pictured: Northampton County’s 1731 courthouse.

The Library of Virginia has announced that the Circuit Court Records Preservation Program (CCRP) has awarded more than $2 million in grants to localities across the Commonwealth for 2025. These grants will support the preservation and conservation of historical records housed in Virginia’s courthouses.

Administered by the Library’s Government Records Division, the CCRP provides resources to protect and increase access to Virginia’s permanent circuit court records. Since its establishment in 1992, the program has awarded 2,282 preservation grants totaling over $38 million.

“The records within our state’s courthouses are invaluable research treasures,” said Librarian of Virginia Dennis T. Clark. “We take great pride in managing these grants, which play a crucial role in safeguarding the Commonwealth’s rich history for generations to come.”

For 2025, the CCRP Grant Review Board approved 114 grant projects from 105 circuit courts. Most of the projects involve professional conservation treatment for hundreds of historical records dating from the 1690s to the mid-20th century. These records include deed books, will books, land tax books, marriage licenses, order books, and plat books, many of which have suffered damage from age, use, pests, water exposure, or previous nonprofessional repairs.

Accomack & Northampton County were each awarded $19,825 to reformat and index their County records.

Additional grants will fund reformatting projects and improvements to storage and shelving to ensure long-term protection of these documents.

The CCRP is funded by a $3.50 recordation fee collected on land instruments recorded in circuit court clerks’ offices. The CCRP Grant Review Board, which evaluates grant applications annually, consists of five voting members: three circuit court clerks appointed by the Virginia Court Clerks’ Association and two staff members from the Library of Virginia.

Circuit court clerks across Virginia are eligible to apply for these funds to conserve, secure, and improve access to historical records, ensuring that generations to come can benefit from Virginia’s rich legal and historical heritage.