News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Clay County will continue restoration of the historic courthouse with the help of the Creative Placemaking Grant.
County Mayor Dale Reagan said the grant will upgrade the courthouse for the annual “Christmas at the Courthouse.”
“We have been using it around Christmas time to do some plays and stuff like that. And this will just help give that a facelift and make it more modernized in a sense,” Reagan said. “You know with lighting and sound system and stuff like that and everything. Some of that stuff we are not able to do. We don’t have the funds to do it.”
Clay County will continue updating the historic courthouse in preparation for the Sesquicentennial. (Photo: Clay County)
The Tennessee Arts Commission awarded the county with the $8,000 grant with a match of $2,000.
“It helps us to continue on with our preservation of the old historical courthouse here at clay county. We have been using it for a lot of different venues and stuff,” Reagan said. “I know Thomas Watson is the curator over the courthouse and is doing an excellent job helping out and trying to research and to get grants and stuff.”
Reagan said the county received a different grant about three years ago for electrical updates.
“We are blessed to accomplish the biggest majority of that we have still got some stuff to do up there,” Reagan said. “And on the outside, around the overhang and stuff, we are looking at doing some replacement of some of that woodwork. ”
Reagan said any restoration project at the courthouse must go through the Historical Preservation Group.
“Our courthouse is listed on the historical register for the state. It can still be used as an active court, so we keep that in mind,” Reagan said. “And in the event that they eve have to go up there. And occasionally they do whenever we are having two or three different courts going on.”
Reagan said the county is making the additional updates to prepare for the sesquicentennial celebration in 2020. The county building is the second oldest active courthouse in Tennessee.
