News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Clay County officials will begin restoring the original windows in its 1870s courthouse.
Museum Curator Thomas Watson said the $6,000 state grant allows the county to begin work on the project.
“Our plan right now is to put storm windows in first,” Watson said. “Then the actual windows can be removed through the inside, and we’ll not have to board up that window while the windows are being restored.”
County officials are matching the state grant with $4,000 dollars of local funds, giving the county $10,000 to work on the windows this year.
Watson said the funds will help officials make significant progress on the restoration work.
“We have an estimate on how much it will cost per window,” Watson said. “I believe we have to do probably half the storm windows with this grant.”
Although the windows are original to the courthouse, Watson said they are in decent shape. However, all the windows need of some improvement.
“Definitely they need to be glazed,” Watson said. “Some of them have some weather damage and things like that. The biggest concern is with the windy weather we’ve had in the last little bit, a puff of wind coming from the wrong direction could pop numerous windows out of those window frames.”
Watson said each individual window will be assessed to see what needs to be done for its restoration.
“If necessary, the restoration company would remove the window, take them to the shop, and take them apart,” Watson said. “They would do any damage control necessary to the window or any type of repairs. They can redo the original wood, put the original glass back in, re-glaze them, and then place them back in the courthouse.”
The Clay County Courthouse was built in 1873 and is the second oldest operating courthouse in Tennessee. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
