Fentress County Historical Society to Move Buildings

The Fentress County Historical Society will move into the Regan Building once the Finance Department sets up in the County Courthouse.

County Executive J. Micheal Cross said both moves will benefit the county.

“It puts all the main county offices in one building under one roof. So we should have cohesiveness, better communication. Just all the way around, benefit the county and the Finance Department,” Cross said. “And that opened up the Regan Building to where we could utilize that for the Historical Society. Put our county archives on one side of the building and the Historical Society to put a museum, bookstore, and things of that nature in there.”

Cross said the Historical Society will draw attention to downtown Jamestown.

The society approached the county about searching for a building in Jamestown, Cross said.

“And in doing the search, after we had opened the justice center a couple of years ago, that opened up a couple of offices upstairs in the courthouse,” Cross said. “So we decided to move the Finance Department out of the Regan Building and put them upstairs in the courthouse.”

Cross said the Historical Society has an opportunity to have an active museum at the Regan Building.

The Use and Occupancy Agreement will undergo further discussion between the county and the society, Cross said.

“It will be worked out from our County Attorney to the Historical Society’s Attorney to work up a very simple agreement that sets some parameters about management,” Cross said. “I’m sure that Fentress County will continue to pay the electric bill with the county museum there. We will help the Historical Society in any way we can.”

Cross said the county will possibly consider a ninety-nine-year lease for the society.

Some renovations and updates are needed in order for the Finance Department and the society to move into the buildings, Cross said.

“We have got to do some wiring upstairs in the courthouse. We have to put in computer networks and things of that nature for the Finance Department and at the same time, we need to do little renovations over in the Regan Building to accommodate the Historical Society.”

Cross said moving will be a slow process, but hopes to have both moves completed in the next thirty to sixty days.