YCHC announces fundraiser for 1921 Jail matching grant

The Young County Historical Commission has started a fundraising campaign in its effort to save the 1921 Young County Jail. Funds raised would go toward a $20,000 matching grant that the commission has applied for to the Texas Preservation Trust Fund.

The Texas Legislature established the TPTF in 1989. The fund is currently managed by the Texas Treasury Safekeeping Trust Company. Investment earnings are distributed as matching grants to qualified applicants for acquisition, survey, restoration, preservation, planning, and heritage education activities leading to the preservation of historic architectural and archeological properties and associated collections of the State of Texas. Competitive grants are awarded on a one-to-one match basis and are paid as reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred during the project.

The commission applied for the matching fund grant and has reached stage two of the application process. The deadline to request a preliminary review of grant applications was Monday, Jan. 17, with a deadline to receive applications of Monday, Feb. 7. In April, THC sent project manuals to invite selected applicants to submit a detailed project proposal. The deadline to receive those proposals is 5 p.m. Wednesday, July 13.

YCHC says in its fundraiser brochure that the grant would be used to fund a third-party study to cover areas of potential problems, suggested remedies and estimated costs for implementing a master plan. It is inviting members of the Young County community to submit ideas for how the building could be repurposed.

Late last year, the Young County Commissioners Court was approached by members of the city of Graham, Graham Chamber of Commerce and Graham Convention and Visitors Bureau with a proposal to demolish the 1921 Young County Jail and construct a pavilion as a part of the planning for the 150th year celebration for the city of Graham.

During a Dec. 13, 2021 meeting, commissioners were presented with a petition which had 407 signatures as of that day against the demolition of the jail from YCHC. The commission members said they want to find a way to drive historical tourism and are seeking a year to find the best use for the building. Susan Smith, with the historical commission, spoke on a grant for the jail.

“We have received an email from the Texas Historical Commission that we could be a recipient of a Preservation Texas grant. And sad to say, but the building being in jeopardy makes us an incredible candidate for this grant. We could use those funds to do an assessment to find out what specific code in ADA requirements we would have to meet and help us find a plan to mitigate that. Additionally, we have access to the Texas Historical Architecture Department that would come down and do an assessment,” Smith said.

The court tabled a request for use of the 1921 Young County Jail and adjoining property of the former LEC/Detention Center from City Manager Brandon Anderson, then Graham Chamber of Commerce CEO Krisa De La Cruz and Graham Economic Development Corporation Director Grant Ingram.

Commissioners have not publicly heard any proposals for use of the building since. One option by Young County Pct. 2 Commissioner Matt Pruitt, who said he has seen numerous comments made both ways regarding the jail, was to bring the option before the voters of Young County.

“My opinion is y’all voted us in to do something to make choices for the county, but in this situation I don’t know if making it a museum is going to bring in a ton of people. I don’t know if having a pavilion is going to bring in a ton of people. (...) But in my opinion I do not think us five sitting up here should make the decision for Young County to have to tear it down, leave it or whatever. I think it should be put to the taxpayer of Young County in a vote,” he said. “To me, that’s a fair way. Because for me to say that I’m going to do something this way or this way, I don’t think it’s right. I think it’s y’alls property, y’alls decision.”

It was announced June 12 on the YCHC Facebook page that Smith has created a GoFundMe fundraiser to help in raising funds for the matching grant. As of 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the page had two donations totaling $70 of its $20,000 goal.

“The 1921 Young County Jail, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark since 2020, is in jeopardy of being razed. The City of Graham wishes to demolish the historic building and build a seating pavilion in its place. The city requested that Young County Commissioners deed the property to the city for this purpose,” Smith wrote on the GoFundMe page. “The Young County Historical Commission proposed to save the building and asked for one year to explore repurposing. The commissioners opposing preservation of the building challenged us to provide cost estimates for repurposing. The Young County Historical Commission has applied for a grant to help fund a master plan in accordance with the historical commission’s proposal. Your donation will help with the grant match and aid in preserving this historical building for its next purposeful use.”

In a text message to The Graham Leader Graham Chamber of Commerce CEO Cathy Partridge wrote that there has been no further discussion on the pavilion proposal since she took the job in February 2022.

According to the fundraiser brochure, the jail is a three-story brick building with 12-inch thick concrete walls. The jail was designed by C.H. Leinbach of Dallas. Construction of the jail cost $44,276 which is nearly equivalent to $681,141.98 in today’s dollars, according to the CPI Inflation Calculator from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The jail was closed in 1977 and repurposed as a crisis center in 1982 by the Graham Ministerial Alliance. The crisis center moved out of the building in January 2021.