Johnston County Register of Deeds Craig Olive has announced another phase of restoration of documents in his office. Recently, Town Maps – some dating back to 1915 – were restored and preserved by Kofile Technologies.
The Town Maps have been in disrepair for several years and were in great need of restoration. This was simply caused by decades of standard wear and tear. As part of the restoration process, the maps have been placed in easy to access hanging files and are protected by an archival polyester pocket.
Mr. Olive said the Town Maps serve as a vital tool in true historical data research. Paralegals, attorneys, and the general public use these maps to verify deed and book reference, lot sizes, confirm ownership, and assist in gathering boundary lines. Having these maps restored will enable researchers to save time and quickly find the data and records they are researching.
Kofile Technologies performed the restoration at their conservation lab in Greensboro, NC. This past summer, Greg Brooks, of Kofile, made the trip to the Johnston Register of Deeds office to personally pick up the vital records for delivery to Greensboro.
During the preservation process, the maps were professionally repaired. The records were de-acidified, surface cleaned, repaired and mended. Adhesives were also removed and stains were reduced as much as possible. Each sheet was inserted into an archival polyester pocket before being placed in a custom hanging binder. These proprietary techniques give new life to old documents.
Automation Enhancement and Preservation Fund provides the necessary funding to have these maps restored. State law requires that ten percent of the fees collected by the Register of Deeds go into this fund for the preservation of records that are housed in the Register of Deeds Office. Preservation is an ongoing project in the Register of Deeds office. Their office has books and records that date back to 1746, the birth of the County.
“As custodian of the public records, it is my duty to preserve historical records such as these maps. Over time, we will continue to restore records that are housed in my office. I consider this restoration a vital and necessary duty charged to me and will always strive to ensure records in my office are in the best possible condition for the citizens of Johnston County,” according to Mr. Olive.
The restored maps consist of towns in Johnston County including some townships including Banner and Boon Hill, Mr. Olive said.
