By Randall Rigsbee

A fire Thursday afternoon destroyed the historic Chatham County Courthouse, which has been a familiar and beloved part of Pittsboro’s landscape for more than a century.

The fire was reported at approximately 4:45 p.m., when eyewitnesses began seeing smoke coming from the building.

By 5 p.m., thick, dark smoke which was visible from several miles away was billowing from the structure’s clock tower.

Everyone working in the building was evacuated safely. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.

The building, a fixture of Pittsboro since 1881, had been surrounded by scaffolding in recent weeks as crews worked on a number of renovations. By Friday morning, after firefighters from departments throughout Chatham County and surrounding areas had battled the blaze for hours, the structure was little more than a brick shell.

Firefighters had made progress controlling the fire in the structure by late Thursday night and remained on the scene throughout the night, controlling hot spots which popped up.

The iconic clock tower toppled around 1:30 a.m.

Chatham County officials said the portions of the building still standing sustained major water and smoke damage.

Pittsboro Fire Chief Darryl Griffin said the fire appears to have started in the building’s attic.

Chatham County Fire Marshal Thomas Bender will work with the SBI to investigate the fire.

Chatham County opened an emergency shelter for anyone who may have needed it due to the large amount of smoke that resulted from the blaze, but officials reported that no residents required it, so the shelter was closed Thursday night.

County officials continued to urge any residents who may have experienced breathing difficulties to call 911 for assistance.

Schools in Pittsboro, like much of downtown, were impacted by the fire.

While a number of businesses on Hillsboro Street were open Friday, some remained closed. Hillsboro Street was closed to traffic on Friday.

Because of the fire’s impact on traffic in Pittsboro, school bus routes were affected for Pittsboro    Elementary, Horton Middle  and Northwood High School.

Horton Middle School off US 15-501 south of the traffic circle began classes on Friday at 10 a.m. to allow for traffic delays.