Grand staircase, HVAC, more to be addressed

CELINA-Upgrades to the historic Clay County Courthouse are set to resume soon due to additional funding granted to preserve the local centerpiece of the community.

A $100,000 capital maintenance and improvements grant from the State of Tennessee administered by the Tennessee State Museum will soon be used to restore the building’s original grand staircase, further update the electrical system, replace the outdated and non-working HVAC system, and repair the concrete patio.

“The historic Clay County Courthouse is one of the few remaining structures from the post Civil War period that is a viable part of the area,” courthouse curator Thomas Watson said.  “After 12 years of work and with the support of local donors, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and local programs such as the Adopt-A-Window program, we have been able to keep the courthouse an important part of our community with events like the Chocolate Gravy Festival, concerts and plays in the Fox Family Theater, and visitors to the Rolley Hole Marble Museum.

“We also still host weddings and welcome back couples who got married here more than 50 years ago.”

The money awarded to the local courthouse comes as a part of $5 million made available by the Tennessee General Assembly from the 2025-2026 Appropriations Act “for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenance and improvements.”

In the third year of the grant program, it remains a highly competitive process.  In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 178 applications, totaling $12,031,874 in requests.  The Museum has made full or partial awards to 99 museums across the state, representing 45 counties.  In the three years the Museum has administered the grant program, it has served museums in 73 counties across the state.

“The Tennessee Capital Improvement Grants continue to support and strengthen the infrastructure of institutions preserving our state and local history and culture,” said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director.  “We are honored to help support the commitment of those institutions to better serve their communities and visitors through collection care and visitor accessibility these last three years.

“We are inspired by the dedication of their staff and volunteers.  None of it would be possible, of course, without the State of Tennessee’s unwavering support for Tennessee history.”

For more information about the Tennessee State Museum, visit TNMuseum.org.  For more information about the courthouse, visit claycountycourthousetn.com.