Historic Stillwater courthouse competes for grant dollars

The more-than century-old Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater is among 25 metro-area historic properties vying for a total of $1 million in grants.

Public voting will determine which property is awarded a $125,000 grant from American Express and the national Trust for Historic Preservation, with an advisory commission doling out the rest of the grant funding as part of the Partners in Preservation program.

Completed in 1870, the Historic Courthouse – which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 – has been undergoing renovations since the county moved to a new government center in 1975. The Stillwater building is now used as a home for historical exhibits, office space and a rental venue for weddings and special events.

Voting is open until Oct. 12 at Facebook.com/PartnersinPreservation. Each individual can vote once daily for any of the 25 historical sites on the list. Grant recipients will be announced Nov. 15.

-Jon Avise

Tags: washington county, news, government, updates