News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Improvements to the floor and updated restrooms are on the way to the Clay County Museum, thanks to a $95,000 grant from the Tennessee State Museum.
Museum Board President Beverly Hollifield said the museum improvements are much needed.
“We are in a depressed area of the Upper Cumberland, so even though we’re 100 percent non-profit, anything we do, we have to raise our own money,” Hollifield said. “This will give us the ability to do so much that we’ve needed to do. There are no words to adequately express how wonderful it is.”
Hollifield said adding a suitable gateway to the Cordell Hull Law Office that is connected to the museum is also a priority. A new storage room, and a handicap-accessible restroom will be part of this spring’s work.
Hollifield said the museum recently had a ramp added to the front entryway, but the front porch that the ramp leads to has deteriorated and will have to be repaired with some of the grant money. Hollifield said if there is money left over from the renovations, she hopes to be able to add more exhibits as well.
“This grant will give us an opportunity to allow us to have a world-class museum that recognizes the wonderful people that have contributed to the history in Clay County,” Hollifield said.
Hollifield said Clay County residents are passionate about the museum and deserve to have it in good working order.
“I think one of the biggest things about our community is we have a love for history and a love for preserving history, and you can’t do that without having the museum and a place for it to be stored and explained,” Hollifield said.
Hollifield said a key to any community is educating the youth on the history of their home. She said an improved museum is the ticket to helping young people learn from and about the past.
