The former state building off the public square where locals for many years sought employment needs has been turned into a newly refurbished records room for Bedford County.

Carol Roberts, Bedford County Archives director, told the County Financial Management Committee on Tuesday that her department continues to work on the new records building.
“The ramp is done, the awning over it is complete. I watched it very carefully with all this ice and snow-how it was going to survive. It did a great job of draining off without any stress on the awning itself.”
She said window treatments are finished for the new records building, which is the former state employment security building off the public square. Roberts shared with the Times-Gazette that Archives plans to keep its office and research rooms in the Courthouse main floor.
“We keep the largest vault for the oldest original historic books and documents. The records building will be for modern records and research to benefit the other County offices, with more current permanent and long-term records.
Mayor Chad Graham asked on Tuesday if this work on the new records building is funded through grants. He also mentioned if archive fees are backfilling as well.
“All of the updates and upgrades to the building are on our budget . . . fiscal budget,” said Roberts. “The grant I do get is going into archival supplies, folders, boxes that are preservation quality. We use those to help with the more historic records-the 1890s, the 1900s-those records.”
Commissioner Linda Yockey advised that when Roberts gives the nod, the entire building will be vacuumed and front entrance cleaned well.
“It’s looking a whole lot better, already,” said the archives director.
As part of her report, Roberts, who is retired from Tennessee State Library and Archives, shared with the committee that the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Center for Historic Preservation will soon do some interpretations/ recommendations on the old Rock Jail as a historic site.
“I’m looking forward to the program and the reports that they pull together. We pull together the history for them.”
She said MTSU has previously completed interpretations on three very historic cemeteries in Bedford County as well as a full historic reference and preservation recommendation. They’ve done the same for the Singleton Chapman Tavern in Fairfield-one of the oldest buildings there-and New Hope Cemetery.
Roberts said Bedford County reports are listed on the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation website.