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Officials: Grant could cover half of $20M price
Bastrop County is pursuing state funding for a full restoration of its historic courthouse and jail, a project officials estimate could cost $20 million or more.
Commissioners voted June 8 to expand an existing grant application with the Texas Historical Commission after the agency invited the county to seek full restoration funding alongside its original planning application. The county had initially applied only for planning funds, but the invitation followed a $100 million appropriation from the 89th Texas Legislature in 2025 for the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.
Assistant Auditor Nicole Moore said the invitation could open the door to as much as $10 million in state funding.
“Typically, this program is very competitive, and not all counties get the full restoration,” Moore said. “For them to have some room to work with and to invite applicants that were looking at planning applications is a pretty big deal.”
The grant operates on a reimbursement basis, requiring the county to cover project costs upfront before receiving state funds. Based on 2022 estimates, Moore said courthouse restoration would cost about $20 million and jail restoration about $5 million.
“That’s about three to four million per year that we would have to look at budgeting or finding the funds for,” Moore said. “But again, we only get $10 million total ... that’s a big number and free money, so to speak.”
The planning phase is expected to take about two years, with construction potentially beginning around 2029 if the county receives planning funds and moves forward.
According to the THC, restored historic courthouses can generate economic benefits through job creation, downtown revitalization and tourism. Since 1999, courthouse preservation projects have created more than 16,000 jobs and generated nearly $1.1 billion in earnings statewide.
Bastrop County has not previously received funding through the program.
