Commissioners hear update on Historic Jail preservation efforts

NEWTON COUNTY — At the Aug. 19 Newton County Board of Commissioners meeting, Ascension Program Management Project Manager Jeff Prine provided an update on the renovation and preservation efforts at the Historic Jail House. With the update came an additional reallocation of $137,312 in unbudgeted money to complete the efforts.

On Feb. 18, the commissioners opted to take a preservationist stance with the old jailhouse, highlighting its significance to Newton County’s history, particularly during the Civil Rights Movement. It was the site where the ‘Newton Six’ were jailed without bond for 45 days following their involvement in desegregation protests in the 1970s.

“It’s the historic value as far as where we came from, and this is where we are now,” said J.C. Henderson, district 4 commissioner. “In order to know where you’re going, you’ve got to know where we came from. We can’t just hide it, change it, move it around. You’ve got to know what happened, and hope and pray that it never happens again in our community.”

The county previously planned to repurpose the site to include museum-like rooms, as well as space for local 4-H operations. 

Prine approached the commissioners in February with a design, permits and the go-ahead from the local historic preservation commission, which only asked the county to leave the exterior bars on the windows undisturbed.

But the commissioners, upon hearing advocacy for more of the original structure to be kept intact, decided to reroute the project.

Prine now came before the board seeking an additional $137,312 for the project. He told the commissioners that this additional funding was needed due to the added costs of the new plan, which keeps the cells on the second floor of the jailhouse intact and prioritizes historical preservation over repurposing.

“So part of this cost is to, one, go in and make sure the second floor is historically, accurately refurbished,” Prine said. “The price includes $25,000 for exhibitry so that we can continue to tell the history of, not only of the facility, but of Newton Six and others that were a part of that group that was there. And that also maintains the fact that we had to go back out for bid for all of our elements because the pricing had basically gone stale, and escalation [inflation] hit us as well.”

District 5 Commissioner LeAnne Long raised concerns about pulling unbudgeted money from the general fund, asking if this was something that the commissioners would want to take under more consideration before approving. 

“Do we not want to look at this and analyze it, or is it just me saying that?” Long said. “I mean, I have a problem with us taking $137,000 out of the general fund for this when it’s not budgeted. I mean, I know we need to finish that jail…I don’t know the solution, but just, I don’t want to keep taking money after money that we don’t have budgeted for different projects.”

Prine, as well as Interim County Manager James Brown, said that they were going to try and save costs where they could, with Brown referring to the cost estimate as a “ceiling.”

“The team is dedicated to making sure that if we have to make adjustments that can make sure we stay within budget, that we’re going to do that,” Prine said. “It’s just an old building, and so you don’t know what you don’t know until you get into it and start opening things up.”

The funds were granted with a 4-1 vote, with Long voting in opposition.

Having received board approval for the additional funding, the preservation project is set to continue.