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Freestone County awarded $6.38 million Texas Historical Commission grant for courthouse restoration
Summary
The Texas Historical Commission awarded Freestone County a $6,379,490 restoration grant; county historical commissioners and the county’s architect said being shovel‑ready with a master plan helped secure the award. The THC will prepare the funding agreement for county review.
Freestone County officials and members of the Freestone County Historical Commission said the Texas Historical Commission awarded the county a full restoration grant of $6,379,490 to restore the county courthouse.
County speakers said the award requires a minimum local match of 12% of the total project cost; that match includes a credit for county planning documents. County officials told the court they spent roughly $200,000 on the master plan, applications and architect fees and that the commission credited that work when allocating the grant.
William Shelton, chairman of the Freestone County Historical Commission, told the court the architecture committee and THC commissioners expressed strong support for the full historic restoration. Angela Oglesby, secretary of the Freestone County Historical Commission, said THC staff emphasized the county’s master plan and “shovel ready” status as decisive factors for reconsideration and final award; she quoted a THC staffer, Susan Deetz, as saying the funding decision reflected the county’s preparedness.
County officials said the THC will prepare a funding agreement that the county, its attorney and its architect will review. Officials also said the THC finalized the recorded landmark plaque that will be posted in front of the courthouse on the same day as a planned ceremony.
The award was described at the meeting as a significant step for the courthouse restoration; no formal vote occurred on the grant itself during the session. County and historical commission members pledged to help with the project and to coordinate next steps when the THC transmits the funding agreement for review.
