Franklin, Logan County courthouses receive state preservation funds
The Logan County Courthouse in Paris, Ark.
More than $370,000 in money from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) will support restoration and rehabilitation projects at the Franklin and Logan County courthouses. The awards were part of more than $3.3 million provided to 29 counties for courthouse repair.
The AHPP Courthouse Grants and Historic Preservation Restoration grants are programs designed to support preservation of Arkansas’ historic buildings, museums, cemeteries and other facilities.
The program awarded $3.37 million was given to 29 counties, and $1.286 million was given to 25 cities and organizations for projects ranging from cemetery work, local museums, post offices and buildings.
The Franklin County courthouse grant is $155,000 and will pay for facade and window rehab, including removing old mortar from joints to ensure structural integrity and reduce damage from moisture. The courthouse is in Ozark. The grant for the Logan County courthouse in Paris is $221,000 and is for east portico restoration, according to the AHPP press release.
The two courthouse grants were the only projects awarded in the Fort Smith metro.
“I am very pleased to see our agency play a role in historic preservation around our state,” AHPP Director Scott Kaufman noted in the press release. “The Historic Preservation Restoration Grants (HPRG) and the County Courthouse grants are the cornerstone of our preservation grants. These two grants especially help preserve structures that mean so much to our local communities around our state.”
According to the AHPP, the County Courthouse Restoration Grant is an annual grant that has existed since 1988. It is funded primarily by an annual grant to the AHPP by the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council (ANCRC) using real estate transfer tax (RETT) funds.
The Historic Preservation and Restoration Grant program is to support preservation of Arkansas’ historic resources by providing financial assistance for restoration of historic properties. The program is financed through proceeds of the real estate transfer tax. The amount of funding fluctuates each year depending on the taxes collected.