Upshur County Commissioners on Wednesday accepted a $215,000 grant from the Texas Historical Commission to help bring the courthouse into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and opened lease proposals on the county’s West Texas school land.

The county’s match will be at least $108,000 but could be up to $300,000, County Judge Dean Fowler said.

“We have to make the building ADA-compliant anyway, so it’s good for us to be able to use this grant,” Fowler said.

Required renovations include correcting a downstairs ramp and installing ADA-accessible bathrooms on the first floor, Fowler said.

The renovations also will help the county’s courthouse restoration project — should the state provide a grant to the county that will allow it to restore the courthouse to its 1937 appearance.

To read more on this article at The Longview News Journal  http://www.news-journal.com/news/local/grant-to-update-upshur-county-courthouse/article_c3f7ad32-73f3-5242-9194-d270c026d552.html