Texas Historical Commission awards $2.3 million to restore Donley County Courthouse

CLARENDON, Texas (KFDA) - The Texas Historical Commission (THC) awarded Donley County $2.3 million to restore the 1890s courthouse.

Out of nine counties in the state of Texas, Donley County was picked to receive an emergency grant to address critical issues endangering the courthouse.

The Donley County Judge John Howard was not able to speak on the grant today because of personal issues. However, he did say the county is holding a commissioners court Aug. 12 to discuss the grant.

Susan Tietz, coordinator of the courthouse program of THC, highlighted what some of the improvements would include.

“Stabilizing a brick wall that is buckling on the south elevation of the building and so they would have to deconstruct that buccaneer and then reconstruct. Then the grant request also included repairing some hand curved sandstone elements on the building,” said Tietz.

The county would have to put up $2.3 million to complete the $4.6 million project. The county has been putting money aside for this work for several years, so it has $820,000 on hand.

Judge Howard said commissioners may consider scaling back the project and seeing if the state will match its $820,000.

Judge Howard said the county appreciates the THC grant and the state’s recognition of the importance of the local courthouse, but he said commissioners will have to do what’s in the county’s best interests.