West Point City Hall will be getting a much-needed facelift, thanks to a grant from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
The MDAH board awarded a Community Heritage Preservation Grant of $81,597 to restoration of the city hall’s exterior during its Wednesday meeting.
“We are really happy to hear this news,” West Point Mayor Robbie Robinson said. “We tried to get this grant last year, but we didn’t make the cut. And based on my experience with a county project that we had to try three or four times for, it’s nice that we hit pay-dirt with our second try in this case.”
Robinson said the next step will be bidding out the work, which will include painting the clock tower, replacing some rotted exterior windows and restoring or replacing the sandstone paraphet at the top of the building.
“This really is a wonderful old edifice,” Robinson said of the city hall, which was built in 1909. “We’re thrilled to be able to make the repairs we need to restore it to its former glory. It’s a great thing for our town.”
Robinson said he expects the repairs and renovations to be completed by next summer. The city will provide 20 percent in match funds required by the grant.
“We’ll try to get the bidding process over by the first of the year, so this will be a spring-time job,” Robinson said. “If the weather cooperates, it should be done by summer.”
The grants, funded through state legislature, helps preserve and restore history courthouses, schools and other buildings. Over the life of the program, the MDAH has awarded more than $32 million for 203 projects state-wide.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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