Workers have been busy at the historic Rebecca Vaughan House for the last two weeks, removing the rusted tin roof that was added well after the 1831 Nat Turner Slave Insurrection and reconstructing a dormer window on the side of the house that faces south.

The slow transformation is nothing short of amazing. If you haven’t seen the house in awhile and you’re in Courtland, swing by and take a look at it. Better still, drive by in another week or so when the cedar shingle roof should, hopefully, be completed.

The new roof will serve two important purposes — it will bring the structure back to its 1831 appearance and protect the interior from the elements. The latter is critical, considering the oncoming winter season.

The house was the last place whites were massacred by slaves participating in the revolt. Very few structures from the insurrection exist today, making the house’s restoration and preservation all the more urgent.

Hopefully the Southampton County Historical Society will be able to secure additional grant money and donations to complete the job. It’s off to a great start.