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Historic Preservation Commission seeks county sign-off to apply for America250 grant to augment July 4 courthouse centennial
Summary
The county’s Historic Preservation Commission asked commissioners whether to apply for a $2,500 America250 grant to enhance the July 4, 2026 centennial of the 1926 Kootenai County Courthouse; ideas include opening the existing cornerstone time capsule, adding a new time capsule, public art, and a lecture series.
Courtney Beebe of the county Historic Preservation Commission asked the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday for input on applying for a new America250 grant to bolster the courthouse centennial celebration scheduled for July 4, 2026.
“The money is state funded through the state treasurer’s office. So it was appropriated funds from the state legislature,” Beebe told commissioners, explaining the reworked program now offers awards of up to $2,500 to support local events commemorating the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.
Beebe said the Historic Preservation Commission already plans a centennial celebration — the courthouse was built in 1926 — and has some budgeted funds for decorations, advertising and two confirmed speakers. She asked whether the commissioners would support the commission applying for the America250 grant and how the county might like the money used. Possible uses Beebe described included opening a time capsule under the courthouse cornerstone (which she said has never been opened), creating a new time capsule, commissioning public art or murals, reproducing quotes from the Declaration in stone, or adding heritage markers and a courthouse lecture series beginning in January with up to 10 talks about local history.
“I think that this could be a very large event,” Beebe said, asking for county leadership in organizing a more structured celebration than the commission could manage on its own. She noted no county staff time would be required to submit the application and that the grant application deadline is Dec. 31.
Commissioners asked Beebe to return with a short, focused request describing what the commission would like to do and to check back in October about potential county volunteers or staff liaisons to help plan a scaled-up event.
Ending: The board did not vote on an application; commissioners asked the Historic Preservation Commission to provide a short written request and to report back in October with a plan and potential volunteers to help run a larger courthouse-centennial celebration on July 4, 2026.
