 TRINITY COUNTY COURTHOUSE PRESERVATION
The Trinity County courthouse was built of brick in 1914 in Classical Revival
style and designed by L. S. Green. Green had also designed the previous
courthouse built in 1884, which burned in 1910.
Trinity County History
Trinity County TXGenWeb
Courthouse Architectural Description
Trinity County TXGenWeb
History of Trinity County Courthouses and County Seats
The Texas State Historical Association
Texas Escapes Online Magazine
01/25/08
This has been the most important week for the Historic Trinity County Courthouse in over 94 years, because hidden beneath old graying concrete facade is a stately brick structure that will gain her just place among Texas' historic courthouses.
Late last week, word came from the Texas Historical Commission regarding which courthouses will receive grants for restoration. And our county is very pleased that the beautiful building of famed architect C.H. Page will finally get her turn to get a makeover. The Trinity County Courthouse, built in 1914, is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Date: Jan. 25, 2008
TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION AWARDS FIFTH ROUND OF HISTORIC COURTHOUSE PRESERVATION GRANTS
AUSTIN, Texas ––The Texas Historical Commission (THC) announced Round V grant recipients of its nationally recognized Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program at its quarterly meeting on Jan. 25 in Austin. Commissioners awarded matching grants totaling nearly $56 million to 17 Texas counties to help preserve their historic courthouses. Additional funding has been set aside for program contingencies, emergency and potential planning work and will be allocated later to address specific projects’ needs.
The counties to receive funds in Round V of the program are: Cass, Cooke, Fannin, Hall, Hamilton, Harris, Hood, Kendall, La Salle, Lavaca, McCulloch, Mills, Potter, Randall, Roberts, San Augustine and Trinity.
The awards include 14 construction projects totaling $53,206,071 and three emergency grants totaling $2,591,374.
A total of 47 grant applications requesting an all time high of more than $200 million were submitted in Round V. Applicant requests were larger than in previous rounds due to inflation and higher funding caps. Pending additional funding from the Texas Legislature, the THC plans to continue the program with additional rounds of grant opportunities.
“With so many qualified applicants the selection process for this round has been very challenging, but our goal is to assist as many counties as possible,” said THC Architecture Division Director Stan Graves. “Texas’ historic county courthouses represent the best of our state and we remain dedicated to helping preserve these important architectural landmarks.”
Gov. George W. Bush and the Texas Legislature created the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program in 1999 with an initial appropriation of $50 million. The THC distributed $42.4 million in matching grants to 19 counties in Round I of the program in May 2000; an additional $7 million to 28 counties for planning and stabilization during Round II in October 2000; $48 million to 25 counties for full restorations during Round III from April 2002 through January 2003; and $43 million for construction, planning and emergency funding to 28 counties in Round IV of the program in May 2004.
In 2005, the Legislature did not allocate state funds for courthouse restorations instead instructing the Texas Department of Transportation to set aside $80 million in federal money in the Transportation Enhancement Program for courthouses. Federal officials, however, have not approved the plan, leaving the program unfunded until now.
Texas courthouses have been symbols of strength, pride, progress and democracy for more than 150 years. However, many of the state’s more than 230 historic courthouses are in disrepair due to insufficient funding for building care and maintenance. Their plight gained national attention in 1998 when the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Texas courthouses to its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
The estimated remaining need to restore the 124 courthouses that have submitted approved master plans is approximately $217 million in state funds. Prior to this allocation of $56 million, the program has generated more than 4,692 thousand jobs and almost $130 million in local income.
Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program
Round V Funding Awards
Construction Awards Amount
Cass County $4,404,765
Cooke County $4,085,904
Hood County $5,000,000
Hamilton County $2,250,000
Harris County $5,000,000
Kendall County $1,285,409
Lavaca County $2,863,200
La Salle County $2,250,000
McCulloch County $4,696,756
Mills County $5,000,000
Potter County $5,000,000
Roberts County $2,642,906
San Augustine County $3,727,131
Trinity County $5,000,000
Emergency Awards Amount
Fannin County $400,000
Hall County $291,374
Randall County $1,900,000
Resolution
Supporting the Efforts of Trinity County To Restore the Historic Trinity County Courthouse
Preservation bolsters an affiliation that makes for organized growth and change in our communities. The continuous partnership among the past, the present and the future encourages each generation to employ the best of present-day thought and technology without rejecting the history, culture, traditions and values on which our lives and our futures are built.
Historic courthouses are wonderful representation of our past; they are more than structural design and majestic government buildings. They are physical links to history. Courthouses were the original permanent structures in the majority of our Texas communities. They became the foundation of county growth. Main streets and business districts grew and prospered in their shadows. Community celebrations began at the courthouse square; Marriages, trials, elections, parades, festivals, campaign rallies and are just some of the events occurring in the courthouse square. Our need to save old buildings is rooted in our need to preserve the marks left on our national landscape by the many people who have shaped it.
Many Texas courthouses offer superior examples of architectural trends and styles. They also provide examples of technological advances in building methods and showcase the work of designers and builders who had statewide and sometimes national reputations. Architectural styles reflected in historic courthouse design include Gothic Revival, Art Deco, Neoclassical, Renaissance Revival, Romanesque Revival and Second Empire. A total of 86 Texas courthouses have been listed in the National Register of Historic Places, 78 are Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks and 62 are State Archeological Concho County Courthouse Landmarks. Many more courthouses are eligible for these historical designations.
  
By DIRK FILLPOT
Historic preservation proponents say a recent study that shows their efforts can provide economic benefits in Texas is a long - awaited victory.
Abilene was one of nine Texas cities to participate in the study by the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University, Texas Perspectives and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
The study presented at a Texas Historical Commission meeting in Austin on May 1 found that costs for preserving a historic building were about equal to constructing a new building; towns with historic structures attract higher income and longer-staying tourists; and historical designations improve property values.
"It's good news for historic preservation," said Larry Abrigg, the city's historic preservation official. "I think this is something a lot of us who worked on preservation have known for quite a while."
Abrigg said he was pleased with the study's findings about economic impact of preserving buildings versus erecting new ones, tearing down a long-held belief.
"It surprises me to the extent that we were told by the development community that new construction provides more economic benefit," he said. "We almost match them dollar for dollar."
Ruby Perez, director of the Abilene Preservation League, said preservationists are now armed with facts.
Historic preservation is something people have always liked, but it was from a feel-good, nostalgic approach," Perez said. "This study gives us hard data and dollars to substantiate the benefits of historic preservation."
The study also concluded that tax incentives, such as those offered in Abilene, generate revenue for the city. It found that Abilene's $23,000 in property tax reductions for the city's 97 historic properties has generated more than $5 million in reinvestment in the city's historic neighborhoods.The study also found preservation activities:
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Generate more than $1.4 billion to the Texas economy annually, supporting 41,000 jobs.
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Yield higher property values (properties with historical designations increased in value by 5 to 20 percent).
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Enhance community pride and boost the economy.
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Encourage tourism. Heritage travelers inject more money into the community than non-heritage tourists.
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Become popular destinations for tourists, especially museums.
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Created 2,400 jobs and $87 million in state income annually through Texas Historical Commission's Main Street Program, a program Abilene does not participate in.
The study concluded that historic preservation created 40,685 jobs, $890 million in income and $1.192 billion in wealth for Texas in 1997.
Perez and Abrigg said the study's findings are well timed because the Texas Legislature is considering funding for rehabilitating county courthouses and whether to reduce funding for historic preservation.
"This helps us strengthen our case to the Texas Legislature that historic preservation makes good economic sense," Perez said.
Although historic preservation is not the mainstay of Abilene's tourism industry, Nanci Liles, executive director of the Convention and Tourism Bureau, said the city's history is emphasized to tourists at the visitors center where a pamphlet mapping out historical sites downtown is made available.
The city's roster of 109 historical properties may increase if the Abilene City Council grants historic overlay zoning to the Rhodes Building, future home of the National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature, during its May 27 meeting.
Denton, Texas
Despite its proximity to a major metropolitan area, Denton, Tex., (pop. 72,000) remains fiercely independent from its neighbors to the south-Dallas and Fort Worth. The city has created its own identity and secured a permanent place in the tourism annals of northern Texas.
The most important influence on Denton's growth has been its two higher education facilities, the University of North Texas (UNT) and Texas Woman's University. Denton may be best known as a mecca for jazz musicians who flock to UNT to study this all-American brand of music. But, the town is also becoming increasingly well known for the revival of its vibrant downtown area.
Founded in 1856, Denton originally consisted of33 blocks with a public square. As the county seat, Denton thrived; the square bustled with activity on Saturdays when farmers and townsfolk gathered to trade and catch up on the latest news. Downtown remained the shopping hub for many generations.
In the 1980s, suburban sprawl started to take its toll, and downtown Denton began to feel the squeeze of modernity. Store owners tried to lure tenants and shoppers by covering brick facades with metal and stucco to imitate the "new look" of malls and shopping strips. As one downtown employee recalls, "I was working on the square during its last hurrah of the late '70s when you could do all of your Christmas shopping by walking around the square during lunch. I was also there in the mid-'80s when there was no place to even buy a greeting card."
In 1986, the community mounted a public campaign to restore the Courthouse on the Square. A $3.5-million
restoration of the 1896 Romanesque courthouse was the catalyst for the current revitalization efforts. Since the courthouse restoration, utility lines have been buried, with the curbs reconfigured to include comer extensions and ramps. In the process, an additional 60 parking spaces, external lighting on buildings and in trees, and new traffic signals were added.
Denton also raised $1.7 million to renovate downtown'sCampus Theater and it has been worth every penny. A movie house for nearly 40 years, the theater closed its doors in 1986; a decade later, it reopened as a live theater.
Despite the changes, the theater has maintained the look and style of its heyday; it hosts approximately 54 productions and events annually and has spurred redevelopment in the surrounding area. Today, the Campus Theater anchors a growing arts and entertainment district.
Private investment in downtown has swelled to more than $18 million since 1989. There has been a net gain of 138 new businesses and more than 600 new jobs. The occupancy rate has risen from 70 to 98 percent in the last nine years, and 26 loft apartments have been created in the upper floors around the square.
Throughout the downtown area, boarded-up buildings have taken on new life as revitalization spreads outward from Courthouse Square. Special events downtown attract tens of thousands of visitors each year, adding to the vibrancy and vitality of Denton’s small-town atmosphere. Now a destination, Denton thrives on its reputation as a mecca for music, shopping, history, education, and cultural opportunities.
Why was the Hill County courthouse the site of a Willie Nelson concert in 1993? Like many Other residents, Country-music Legend Willie Nelson was deeply Saddened when the courthouse suffered severe damage from a fire probably caused by faulty wiring on January 1, 1993. The courthouse received statewide attention because television images of the collapsing clock tower and charred remains horrified Texans across the state. Nelson was so moved by the destruction that he held a benefit concert called "Blaze to Glory" on the courthouse lawn. Audience members enjoyed Nelson classics and a spectacular light show.
Architecture
The Hill County courthouse was built in 1890 and designed by Wesley Clark Dodson. This building is made of rusticated limestone. It includes four identical, five-bay facades with elegant columns. Its symmetrical structure, central pavilion and mansard or steep vertical roof makes it a Second Empire structure. The Hill County courthouse is an important attraction to the area's leading industry, tourism.
Restoration
The 1993 fire placed the courthouse on "Texas's 10 Most Endangered Historical Places" list. The courthouse has under gone a complete restoration, which included restoring the overall structures, clock tower, stonework, roof, windows, doors, floors, drainage system, railings and exterior lighting. Preventing future courthouse fires is one of several reasons to preserve Texas' courthouses.
The threat to Texas historic courthouses became reality in the early hours of New Year's Day, 1993, when fire ravaged the historic Hill County Courthouse in Hillsboro, leaving the century-old building a charred ruin. Adding to the tragedy was the fact that no original or current architectural drawings existed for the structure. The Hillsboro fire stirred action in the preservation community, and the Texas Historical Commission, the state agency for historic preservation, moved quickly to establish the Texas Court house Alliance project to prevent similar catastrophes. The Texas Department of Transportation provided grant money for court house studies, and the nonprofit group Preservation Texas, Inc. adopted programs to publicize the need for both public and private money to support preservation of historic courthouses.
The Texas Historical Commission has been actively involved in the preservation of county courthouses since the early 1970s, bringing attention to potential hazards and promoting good conservation planning and practices. The agency's Texas Courthouse Alliance has been documenting 55 of the state's unique historic courthouses and has compiled a database of more than 700 courthouse sites across the state. The program is also producing detailed preservation reports on some of the most significant structures.
Courthouse squares throughout Texas display some of the finest examples of e 19th-century and early 20th-century architecture in the United States. The roots of this distinction are deeply embedded in the state's history. After Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, settlers started forming county governments and courthouse construction began. As the county seat, the courthouse soon became a symbol of independent self-government, an architectural embodiment of democracy. County courthouses epitomized the community's pride and reflected the civic, social and economic viability of the areas they served.
The prominent location of most courthouses in the public square reflects their central role in the life of the county. Originally built to represent the establishment and maintenance of law, these ornate courthouses provided many other services. The personal nature of these additional functions, from issuing birth certificates and marriage licenses to administering land and estate records, made the buildings part of county residents' lives. The courthouse also served as the site of community events, such as dances, picnics, patriotic celebrations, political rallies and concerts.
Texas Courthouses Today
Texas has the premier collection of county courthouses in the nation, both in terms of numbers and architectural diversity. There are more than 200 of these structures built before 1940 still standing, but they are in various stages of repair. They range from abandoned sites, like the ruins at ghost towns such as Stiles in Reagan County and Old Frio Town in Frio County, to more modem structures that face uncertain futures, like the Randall County Courthouse in Canyon and the old Nueces County Court- house in Corpus Christi. Numerous historic courthouses are still in active use. Historic Texas court- houses represent some of the best work of outstanding architects such as J. Riely Gordon, W C. Dodson and Alfred Giles.
Reagan County Courthouse
Many Texas county courthouses have fallen into disrepair due to lack of adequate funding for proper building care and maintenance. Electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning and other critical building elements are outdated and even hazardous. Some need work to become fully accessible and compliant with current codes and laws. These buildings are often vulnerable to fire, abandonment or even demolition.
Governor's Initiative
Texas Gov. George W Bush has made courthouse preservation an integral element of his legislative initiative. As a first step, he has named a special ad hoc Courthouse Advisory Committee comprised of state and county officials and preservation professionals. The committee will assess funding needs and make recommendations for implementing the program.
The immediacy of the threat to historic courthouses gained nationwide attention when the National Trust for Historic Preservation (Washington, D.C.) named Texas historic courthouses to its 1998 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Every year the National Trust issues its list of historical properties most threatened by neglect, deterioration, inadequate funding, and lack of maintenance or insensitive planning. Such a listing is both a distinction and a call for action. While it focuses national attention on some of the most significant public landmarks in Texas, it also highlights the challenges the state faces in preserving these unique resources.
Texas Courthouse Preservation Project
The landmark courthouses of Texas require immediate attention and investment that is often be- yond the capabilities of many local communities. In an effort to bring to the local level the same kind of pride and quality work that marked the recent restoration of the Texas State Capitol, the state legislature could dedicate adequate funding on a matching grant basis to help communities preserve these irreplaceable structures.
Administration
The Texas Courthouse Preservation Project will be administered jointly by the Office of the Governor and the Texas Historical Commission. All courthouses receiving funds would commit to using good preservation practices and to future stewardship of the historic courthouses. The Texas Historical commission will work with county officials to identify trained and qualified professional - architects, engineers and contractors - who have demonstrated abilities and expertise in the highly specialized field of historic preservation.
Eligibility
To apply for funding through the Texas Courthouse Preservation Project, a courthouse would have to be:
In instances where the pre-1940 design of a building has been significantly altered, the date of the later alterations will be used. Courthouses of particular importance to the project will be those considered among the oldest in the state, the most unique architecturally or the most endangered due to deterioration or neglect.
Preliminary estimates indicate the total cost for restoring all the historic county courthouses in Texas would be approximately $750 million. Actual restoration costs fluctuate depending on such factors as:
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inflation over the project term (2 -10 years)
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the assessment of specific conditions on site
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revisions of needs as work progresses.
The governor has proposed initial funding for the Texas Courthouse Preservation Project at $200
million. The money would enhance local funding for selected courthouse projects.
Match Requirement
State funding for courthouse preservation will be made available to eligible counties that can pro- vide the required 15-20 percent match. The match may come in the form of current funds or through allowances for prior work that meets the criteria of the preservation program.
Allowable Scope of Work
The central theme of the courthouse program is preservation, and Texas Historical Commission staff will provide technical advice and current information on accepted techniques and practices. There will be an emphasis on the development of comprehensive master plans to ensure that the appropriateness of current work and the needs for long-term maintenance are addressed in a clear manner.
Restoration funded through the Texas Courthouse Preservation Project will incorporate recognized preservation standards and practices. Eligible projects might include:
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replacing missing historic materials
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rehabilitating damaged elements
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restoring original interior spaces
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upgrading mechanical and electrical systems
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implementing code compliance measures
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removing unsympathetic additions.
Texas Courthouse Preservation Project funding is intended to contribute to the continued, original
use of the courthouses and keep them functioning as active centers of government. Using quality planning and restoration methods will ensure these landmarks are preserved and utilized for future generations.
Economics of Fiscal Responsibility
- Preservation and rehabilitation are fiscally responsible approaches to facilities management. Historic courthouses were built at great expense to Texas counties. Many issued bonds or levied taxes to pay for construction. Building materials and construction methods used on historic courthouses would be extremely costly today, which would make construction of a comparable structure financially infeasible.
- The original designs of historic courthouses have economic advantages, in addition to their aesthetic value and historical significance. Most were designed to be cost-effective with thick masonry walls to conserve heat, large open spaces to allow good air circulation and tall windows and sky lights to let in plenty of natural light.
- Every business day, courthouses located in downtown business districts draw hundreds of employees, visitors, citizens, lawyers and jurors, all of whom are potential customers for downtown merchants.
- Historic courthouses are potentially eligible for rehabilitation grants from public and private foundations, and from the Texas Preservation Trust Fund, which is administered by the Texas Historical Commission.
- Of recent years, Texas courthouses have received state and federal rehabilitation grants, including Federal Highway Administration ISTEA grants, totaling almost $30 million.
- State law allows money from local hotel/motel taxes to be used for tourism- related historic preservation projects. Because historic courthouses are statewide tourist attractions, courthouse restoration projects should be able to tap into that local funding resource. Construction of new courthouses would not benefit from hotel/motel tax receipts.
- Historic Texas courthouses have become popular locations for major films, television movies and commercials. Courthouses featured in recent movies include the Maverick County courthouse in Lone Star, the Fayette County Courthouse in Michael, the Caldwell County Courthouse in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, the Grimes County Courthouse in Hope, the Harris County Courthouse in Pointman and the Wharton County Courthouse in Powder. These production projects instill community pride and help boost local economies.
- Rehabilitation is a labor-intensive process rather than a material or energy-based process. Local laborers hired for rehabilitation projects will spend their income in the local community. Material purchases for new construction are likely to be purchased outside the county, causing minimal impact on the local economy.
- When an existing building is demolished, the community loses the value of materials, energy resources and labor used to design, build and maintain the structure.
County Courthouse
Benefits and Economic Return
The people of Texas already have so much invested in the state's historic courthouses and the return on continued investment in them is immeasurable. Many counties sacrificed to build their courthouses, often using bonds or taxes over the years to pay for the construction. The loss of distinct historic courthouses is always considered a tragedy in terms of symbolic value and historical significance, but it is an economic tragedy as well. Preservation and rehabilitation are fiscally responsible approaches to facilities management.
Courthouses also serve as a focal point of heritage tourism, one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry in Texas, according to travel information collected by the Texas Department of Economic Development (TDED). Historic Texas courthouses are fast becoming tourist attractions, especially those located in the center of historic, revitalized business districts. They draw people to the downtown area, where visitors and workers alike spend money at locally owned businesses. According to TDED, the travel and tourism industry generated almost $28 billion in 1996, making it the third-largest revenue producing industry in the state. Texas ranks fourth in the U.S. in the number of cultural and historical travelers.
Citizen Input
The Texas Courthouse Preservation Project represents a unique partnership of government officials, preservationists, skilled professionals and concerned citizens. Central to the program's success will be the demonstrated value a county places on its heritage, as evidenced by its commitment to preserving the architectural integrity of its historic courthouse. Broad-based community support from all parts of a county will be essential for success, from initial contact with state legislators as they deliberate the program to the culmination of the restoration work with a rededication ceremony. Interested citizens can talk to their county officials about the benefits of preservation and can also enlist the support and participation of local preservation groups, convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, civic organizations, city governments, schools and businesses.
Conclusion
The Texas Courthouse Preservation Project, with the support of the Office of the Governor, the Texas Legislature, the Texas Historical Commission, county governments, historic preservation organizations and the people of the state, offers a rare opportunity for a unified approach to historic preservation. This is an idea that has gained national attention, and the success of the Texas program will serve as a model for similar programs in many other states. This is a program that will truly make a difference to the people of Texas, and the unprecedented investment in commitment and resources it represents today will reap rewards well into the next century.
State Funds May Be Available For Courthouse Restorations
AUSTIN -Taylor County's historic courthouse has aged over time.
And some interior changes have been made - such as partitions dividing courtrooms and offices to make more rooms.
But now county officials may have the opportunity to receive state funds to help preserve and restore the historic building if lawmakers approve proposed legislation.
Taylor County Judge Lee Hamilton said the commissioner’s court hasn't discussed that option, but it's one that he's considering. "I'm aware of the legislation and I'm aware of the state of our courthouse," he said. "And this is something I would like Taylor County to consider taking advantage of. I would love to see our old courthouse completely restored and returned to its original beauty."
Lawmakers have put preserving the state's oldest courthouses - including those in area counties - at the top of their list this year.
Final dollar amounts are still being negotiated, but lawmakers say the Legislature likely will devote about $100 million to courthouse preservation and restoration grants for the next two years.
"Texas has more historic courthouses than any other state and they are the local symbols of strength, pride, progress and democracy," said state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, and a sponsor of one of the bills.
This legislation comes at the prompting of Gov. George W. Bush, who asked lawmakers to set aside $100 million for courthouse preservation projects in the next two years and another $100 million in 2002-2003.
House members approved a bill by state Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, to authorize grant money from the state's general fund for the preservation.
Gallego, who has a $100 million request in the House budget for this, said it's "too early to tell" if that's how much money will be allocated.
Hamilton said he had no idea how much it might cost to renovate the Taylor County Courthouse, but estimated that it would cost several million dollars.
Texas Historical Commission architects estimate that $750 million is needed to repair and restore all of the state's historic courthouses.
Gallego said he hopes this plan will at least help 25 counties to start preserving and rehabilitating their courthouses. In the future, lawmakers could allocate funds to help more courthouses.
"One of the most fascinating things about Texas is its history and courthouses are part of that rich history," he said.
A separate proposal in the Senate by Fraser would let a bonding authority issue $300 million for the preservation.
If this measure passes the Senate, as Fraser said is expected, the different versions will likely be worked out in a conference committee.
That likely won't come until late in the session, which ends May 31.
"This will be the will of the conference committee," Fraser said. "We feel like the money will be there."
Under the proposals, only courthouses built before 1875 - or those that still function as courthouses - are eligible for the funds, which will be managed by the Texas Historical Commission.
In Texas, there are 255 historic courthouses - which mean they are at least 50 years old, included in the national Register of Historic places or are designated by the state as historical.
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Think of Adjectives That Describe Historic Texas Courthouses.
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Grand.
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Treasured.
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Magnificent.
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Beautiful.
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Endangered.
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Wait a minute. Endangered?
Yes, according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In June, historic Texas courthouses made the National Trust's list of "America's II Most Endangered Historic Places." The National Trust determined that the historic courthouses are significant symbols of American heritage that are "threatened by neglect, deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds, inappropriate development or insensitive public policy."
Gov. George W. Bush saw the National Trust designation as a call to action and immediately unveiled the Texas Courthouse Preservation Project, a plan to provide $200 million in matching grants to communities working to repair and restore their historic courthouses. The project will be presented to the legislature in January and, if approved, will be administered by the Texas Historical Commission.
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