By PEGGY KING

peggy.king@gaflnews.com

VIENNA — Dooly County is one of 10 communities in the state that will receive a federal grant to conduct historic preservation projects.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources has announced that the city of Vienna will receive $14,335 in 60-40% matching grant funds to produce construction/rehabilitation drawings for the historic county Courthouse.

This means that 40% of the costs must come from local sources.

Janet Joiner who works in community development for the city of Vienna said the city collaborated with the county to apply for the grant because only Certified Local Governments were eligible to apply.

County Administrator Steve Sanders said the Courthouse which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places needs some rehabilitation work including a new roof. This funding will pay for architectural plans and drawings that are necessary before any work can begin.

Sanders said the existing roof, made of a synthetic slate material, was installed in the 1980’s. It was supposed to last many years, county commissioners were told at the time.

Leaks have developed around the flashing material, Sanders said. The roof itself is really not the problem.

Construction crews have discovered, however, that when they work on the flashing, they damage the synthetic shingles because they have gotten so brittle, Sanders explained.

He’s not sure what has caused the deterioration of the material in just 25 years.

Middle Flint Regional Development Center historic planners have been working with the county to obtain some funding, but no architect has been chosen for the project yet, Sanders said.

The grants which also have been awarded in varying amounts to the cities of Albany, Augusta, Dahlonega, Decatur, Gainesville, Hawkinsville, Hinesville, Montezuma and Valdosta, are provided through the Historic Preservation Fund from the U. S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service.

Dooly County has completed extensive interior and exterior restoration of the Courthouse in the last 25 years. “We can’t let leaks continue,” Sanders says, “and damage all that work.”