A love story that led to a longer life for the historic Columbus County Court House

COLUMBUS COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The Columbus County Courthouse is a historic landmark dating back to 1914 in downtown Whiteville.  

Despite it’s popularity the two-story building hasn’t been used for years but one Whiteville native wants to change that with the help of a big donation. Bill Valentine is his name and his donation stands at $100,000.  

Valentine is a retired architect who has traveled all over the world but is originally from Whiteville. He met his wife, Jane, at Whiteville High School in the 1950’s. They both played clarinet in the band and after all these years, they’ve created one of the greatest love songs.  

“Even though she was short, she could really hustle,” Valentine said. 

He’s put his small-town touch on many well-known buildings and structures.  

“An airport, a new airport in Saudi Arabia. In Riyadh, that was fun,” Valentine said. 

Bill now lives in San Francisco. While his work over the years has taken him away from the area, he and his wife never lost their love for Whiteville.  

Jane died in 2022 but Bill said he keeps their love alive by giving back to the place that brought them together.  

“We just thought that we owed Whiteville so much. It brings tears to my eyes,” Valentine said. 

He said he and Jane were especially fond of the courthouse and when he heard that the building was in bad shape, he decided to do something about it. 

“We just always thought it was just the heart of the town and if we could do our small part to help save it, we’d just be really happy to try,” Valentine said. 

He said out of all the places he’s visited, there’s simply no place like home. 

Another supporter who is helping to revive the historic Columbus County Courthouse is Clerk of Superior Court Jess Hill.  

“This is their building. This is the people’s house, over a hundred years ago, people came to this location and saw the opening of this building. They were so proud,” Hill said. 

According to current plans, the Clerk’s office will be on the first floor with the Superior Court Judge’s office on the second floor.  

“People have come from far and wide to talk about their family, to laugh, to cry, to get things worked out together,” Hill said. 

In addition to this courthouse project, Bill Valentine and his wife Jane helped fund the rebuilding of the high school in recent years.  

The courthouse project is expected to be completed this summer.  

Valentine said he knows Jane would be happy.