The Democratic Women hosted a forum Monday featuring County Commissioner Linda Yockey and Bedford County Archivist Carol Roberts to discuss the Bedford County Courthouse renovation and the importance of properly storing historical documents.

Roberts is helping to oversee that historic significance is maintained during the renovation.

“It’s been through some trauma and drama over the years, but the integrity of its architectural significance is still there,” she said.

Some of that trauma includes an accidental fire during the Civil War and a burning by a riot mob in December 1934.

The Bedford County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places as it is within the historic district of Shelbyville’s downtown area. The goal is to restore the courthouse to what it was and to what it should’ve looked like—such as with the 1873 walls and columns, and with the 1934 interior floors and windows—all while making the courthouse accessible for other commissioners and meetings.

For example, Roberts said the restoration team hopes to polish the original 1930s terrazzo floors—a very New Deal Era characteristic that's considered a “dying art”—to enjoy the uniqueness for years to come.

In addition to the brick-and-mortar preservation, both Roberts and Yockey explained the initiative to preserve documents by establishing a proper repository for the archives.

Roberts said she stumbled upon the original 1934 pencil drawings, which after working with the Tennessee State Archives, has made them available digitally on the Tennessee Virtual Archives (TeVA) website.

**Changes and costs

Other changes that will be made include renovating the second-floor courtroom. Members of the project hope to bring back the courtroom to its original 1934 design. The third floor will be designated for planning and zoning.

“As you know our county is growing and growing, and so we’ve had to add so much more people,” said Yockey.

Money for the courthouse reconstruction is coming from a state grant, along with tremendous help from the South-Central Tennessee Development District. Yockey assures financing “hasn’t cost the county a dime.”

Yockey said the decision to renovate the courthouse and bring other offices came from the initiatives from former Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray’s promise to bring county offices and mayor’s offices back to square in the courthouse. A lot of those offices still remain in the courthouse in lieu of that promise, Yockey said.

In addition to the growing population, Yockey also expressed positive remarks for the new Tennessee College of Applied Technology facility planned for the 231 Business Park.

She, along with many of the attendees of the forum, agreed on the need for more technical-skilled education programs. In turn, this will raise the tax base, a much-needed change, she said. The new facility is set to cost around $45 million and is on a timeline to be built in three years.

Other business

Register of Deeds Johnny Reed was also present at the meeting where he discussed the housing boom. Having asked people moving here from—Michigan, California, and Florida, just to name a few—why move here, most responded with their desire to get out of the “rat race” and move to rural America. And Bedford County is a prime location for that.

“So, don’t be ashamed to put a big price tag on property you’re selling. Because people are buying it,” Reed said.

Haven of Hope representative Allison Niffen was also present at the forum to collect hygiene donations for the program which sets out to help victims of domestic violence. She asked for next month's donations to be notebooks and writing utensils, saying that journaling has served as therapy for the clients of Haven of Hope.

The Fiber Guild is also asking for donations of plastic shopping bags to make mats for the soup kitchen.

Donations can be brought to the Democratic Women meeting next month held at the Chamber of Commerce.