HARRISONBURG, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Renovations could be on the horizon for Harrisonburg’s namesake house.

The city’s Public Works Department is planning a major restoration project to the tune of $4 million for the historic Thomas Harrison house. Staff are working on applying for a Virginia 250 Preservation Fund grant, which supports improvements to historic sites.

Public Works Director Tom Hartman told Harrisonburg City Council last night that that Department hopes to improve access to the inside of the building and create an outside terrace.

“It would be an open space, it would provide connections to the existing structure that would remain, and then provide an opening to the facade of the Harrison House as well as plan for the future with access to the basement, eventually,” Hartman said.

Screenshot of a rendering for the Harrison House restoration project.

The grant money would allow staff to restore the interior of the Harrison House.

“With the VA 250 grant, we’re able to not only do this project that we were planning to get underway, it allows us to leverage those funds to open up the ability to get inside the structure,” Hartman said.

He added that even without the Virginia 250 grant money, existing funds could still allow staff to clear space for the terrace.