Scurry County OKs Historical Commission request to pursue Texas Historical Commission courthouse grant

Scurry County Commissioners voted to allow the county historical commission to pursue a Texas Historical Commission courthouse grant and to authorize development of a restoration master plan.

Jean Burns, chair of the Scurry County Historical Commission, told the court the commission collected 571 petition signatures (342 online) and received local business support for restoring the county courthouse and removing the later exterior “slipcover.” Burns said the project would address safety and accessibility issues, including elevator access for residents with mobility devices, and pointed to a potential Texas Historical Commission grant program that can award funds to restore historic county courthouses.

The commission and staff outlined the grant and planning sequence the county would follow. Burns and court staff said a master plan is the prerequisite to the planning-stage grant; the commission estimates a master plan will cost about $87,000 and said planning-phase grants often require a local match (an example cited was roughly a 30% match). Burns said the Texas Historical Commission currently has grant funding available and discussed an upper-end figure of up to $10,000,000 for courthouse grants, but she also cautioned the court that actual grant awards, per-courthouse limits and match requirements vary by cycle.

Commissioners pressed for specifics about disruption and cost. Court members asked how courthouse services, IT/fiber connections and offices would be relocated during restoration; staff and Burns replied the master plan would identify staging, phasing and solutions for critical infrastructure and would provide the necessary cost estimates and timelines to inform any later ballot measure. Several commissioners said a master plan would give voters and the court a clearer number to use if they later choose a countywide election to fund remaining costs.

A commissioner made a motion to grant the request from the Scurry County Historical Commission to participate in the Texas Historical Commission courthouse grant program and to allow the commission to select an architect; the motion was seconded and the court voiced agreement. Following the vote Burns thanked the court for the support and said she would continue private fundraising and meet with local businesses and a consultant that has assisted other counties.

What happens next: the Historical Commission will continue fundraising for the master plan, the county will consider adding remaining master-plan funds to the upcoming budget if needed, and staff will work with the commission to begin the planning procurement so the county can apply during the next grant cycle.