County receives award

Newly elected county judge Robert Skelton accepted the 2019 Texas Courthouse Stewardship Award from representatives of the Texas Historical Commission (THC) at the 2019 Real Places Heritage Tourism and Historic Preservation conference in Austin last Friday on behalf of Shackelford County.

Sharon Fleming, the director of the THC Courthouse Preservation Program, and Leslie Midgley, executive vice president and CEO of Texas Land Title Association, which sponsored the award, presented Skelton with Shackelford County’s award plaque and $1,000 check.

“The purpose of the Texas Courthouse Stewardship Award Program is to recognize counties that have established good stewardship practices to maintain their courthouses in restored condition,” said Fleming. “The award of $1,000 is for furthering their stewardship goals.”

Shackelford County was among the first counties to participate in the THC Courthouse Preservation Program when it was created in 1999 and was the first to be fully restored and rededicated in 2001, according to Midgley.

“The project included the interior scope of work to fully restore the courtroom and other public spaces, update the plumbing and electrical systems, replace deteriorating metal windows, install an energy-efficient heating and cooling system and bring the structure into compliance with federal requirements for handicapped accessibility,” said Midgley. “With community support, Shackelford County representatives have been steadfast preservation advocates and leaders in restoring their courthouse, pursuing the available funding opportunities and setting a standard for THC’s courthouse grant and stewardship programs.”

The Shackelford Courthouse is featured on the cover of the THC’s 2019 Courthouse Cornerstones and inside the magazine in a two-page spread titled “Preservation Works in Albany.”

“The Shackelford County Courthouse is a remarkable example of our Courthouse Preservation Program’s economic success,” said Fleming.

According to the article, the Courthouse restoration has helped revitalize Albany’s historic downtown and spurred economic development in the area. The article also noted that in 2018, the county completed additional maintenance on the building, including exterior repainting and repairs, earning the county the stewardship award.

“The downtown area remains a vibrant destination with several buildings being restored and repurposed,” said executive director of the THC’s Texas Forts Trail Region Margaret Hoogstra.

Skelton was already planning to be in Austin last week for a new judges conference that ended on Thursday at noon, and after learning about the award, he made plans to stay over an extra day.

He attended sessions at the Real Places conference on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning before accepting the award at the closing ceremony.

“With the awards given for the Courthouse and to the Friends of Fort Griffin, along with the magazine article, we were very well represented at the 2019 Real Places conference,” said Skelton.