Pickett County has been awarded a $500,000 Tennessee Historic Development Grant to make courthouse improvements.
Pickett County Executive Stephen Bilbrey said the county courthouse was built in 1935 and is on the historic registry. Bilbrey said exterior improvements will consist of repairing gutters, ramps, sidewalks, and steps, while interior improvements will consist of remodeling the bathroom and replacing the plumbing system. Bilbrey said the building has not seen extensive work since the 1990s.
“A lot of people has came and went throughout those years, and it’s just something that we need to do,” Bilbrey said. “We are proud of our courthouse. It’s the heart of our community, the heart of town, and we just want to make sure that it’s here for several more years to come.”
Bilbrey said the grant may not cover all of the work needed, but it will get the project headed in the right direction. Bilbrey said the county will attend a mandatory meeting in February to evaluate next steps to get the project going.
“Until we get the letter to proceed, there is no work that can actually take place, or we won’t be reimbursed for those funds,” Bilbrey said. “But I am sure, since it is over $25,000, we will have to get an engineer to come in and help with that, and so we will have to secure that once we get the letter to proceed. So I mean, we are still talking a few months down the road before it can get started. Hopefully, by late summer or early fall, we can be ready to go to do some of these improvements.”
Bilbrey said it means a lot for the county to receive the grant.
“$500,000 is a lot of money to anyone, but especially to a small county like Pickett,” Bilbrey said. “We are the smallest county in the state, and hopefully we can put that money to good use.”
Bilbrey thanked State Representative Kelly Keisling and Senator Ken Yager for writing letters of support for the county. Bilbrey said he thinks once the project is all said and done, it will be something that the county can be proud of and thankful for.