Saline County receives $200,000-plus historic preservation grant to restore, repair courthouse

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An Arkansas Historic Preservation Program grant will allow Saline County to perform essential work on its 122-year-old courthouse.

County officials said Tuesday that the $216,060 grant is being matched with $72,020 in county funds to replace the building’s roof and repair or replace gutters & downspouts.

County Judge Matt Brumley said the work is part of a plan to restore the courthouse.

“We have a multi-stage plan for the renovation of our historic courthouse,” Brumley said. “This grant will allow us to begin the first stage of this process, which is vitally important in the renovation and protection of this landmark we are all so proud of.”

Arkansas Historic Preservation Program director Scott D. Kaufman said the Saline County project is one of several being supported.

“The agency’s County Courthouse grant program assists in the preservation of historical courthouses across the state that have and continue to play an important part of the Arkansas story,” Kaufman said. “This fiscal year, the department awarded a record-breaking $4,013,676.04 for courthouse restoration projects across the state.”

Officials said the last time the courthouse roof was replaced was in the 1990s during an expansion and renovation project.

County records show the courthouse initially opened in 1902, serving as the county’s third courthouse building.

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