CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The Tennessee Historical Commission has awarded a $19,191 federal grant for the restoration of the landmark Craigmiles House, which serves as the history branch of the Cleveland Bradley County Public Library.
"Tennessee's treasured historic places make our state unique and contribute to our quality of life," Patrick McIntyre, state historic preservation officer and the commission's executive director, said in a news release.
In addition to the Craigmiles House award, the commission announced 30 other awards for historic building rehabilitation, archaeological surveys and preservation professionals across the state.
The commission awarded the Craigmiles House grant in support of a $32,000 restoration of the facility's interior wood and plaster, Cleveland Senior Planner Greg Thomas said. The library will put $12,800 toward the project in accordance with the 60/40 cost-sharing terms of the grant. Federal dollars come from the Historical Preservation Fund.
The house, built in 1866 and located on Ocoee Street, served as the city's main library from 1922 until 1988. After that the facility's mission focused primarily on archival research; it preserves Civil War military records, court documents and assorted manuscripts and correspondence of genealogical and historical significance.
In 2015, the library launched a comprehensive restoration program for the Craigmiles House in conjunction with a number of building and grounds makeovers on the library's main campus, located across the street from the history branch. Private dollars have funded most of the renovations and improvements.
The Tucker Foundation has awarded $225,000 in grant funding towards restorations, with another $75,000 contingent upon the library raising $75,000 from other sources.
Library director Andrew Hunt has praised the top-to-bottom overhaul of the Craigmiles House's exterior, which included painting, replacing damaged wood and brick mortar and installing an ADA-compliant concrete ramp.
"It looks fresh and new," Hunt told library trustees last fall.
Work has continued on the inside as well.
Library board of trustees Chairman John Hagler has called for the library to not only preserve the building's structural integrity, but to offer the community a modern genealogical research space.
Other Tennessee Historical Commission grants for Southeast Tennessee include $36,000 for the restoration of First United Presbyterian Church of Athens and $54,000 for a preservation specialist staff position with the Southeast Tennessee Development District.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow on Twitter @pleach_tfp.