In recent months, three Mississippi Community
Heritage Preservation grants have been awarded to the historic courthouse
facility. The first grant awarded $35,000 to replace broken roof tile, re-tar
roof area on the annex wing, remove and replace gutters with leaf guards,
install caps over chimneys to assist in keeping bats away, assist in the
reparation/replacement of end vents, and replacement of facia and soffits as
needed. The second grant awarded the County $55,000 for the restoration of the
structure of the building. The Mississippi Department of Archives in Jackson
will be visiting to assist staff in determining how best to use the funds.
Possible areas in which to utilize the funds include restoration/reparation of
floors, mold in windows, mold and mildew on walls, and termite infestation in
annex wall. The visit will be funded by the award of the 2007 Conservation
Assessment Program (CAP) grant presented by Heritage Preservation. Through the
CAP grant, the historic courthouse museum will receive a general conservation
assessment of its historic building, collections, and environment of the
facility.
RaNae Vaughn, Society President, stated "we
are committed to being an ambassador for collections care in Tishomingo County
history, and are thrilled to receive support conserving our County’s rich
heritage." However, acceptance and participation in these grants require a
commitment of matching funds. These grants will assist in the renovation and
restoration of our historic courthouse, but public assistance with monetary
donations is needed to obtain matching funds. Any monetary donation whether
great or small will be appreciated. Please feel free to drop off any amount to
the historic courthouse at 203 E. Quitman Street in Iuka. Checks or money
orders may be mailed to P.O. Box 273, Iuka, MS 38852. For more information,
please call (662) 423-3500. E-mails may be sent to
tcarchives@nadata.net or
tishomingocountymuseum@yahoo.com.
