State lawmakers announce museum improvement grant in Henderson County

State lawmakers announce museum improvement  grant in Henderson Co. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, and State Rep. Brock Martin, R-Huntingdon,  today announced that $75,600 in state funding has been awarded to Henderson Co. for capital  maintenance and improvement projects at the historic Doe Creek Schoolhouse in Sardis.  

The funds are part of a $5 million appropriation approved by the General Assembly for the Tennessee  State Museum in the 2024-25 state budget. 

“The Doe Creek School offers residents and visitors an excellent insight into the importance of a quality  education and how schooling has changed over the past 150 years,” the lawmakers said in a joint  statement. “As Tennessee’s oldest existing one-room log school, the site is vital to the story of our  community and the entire state. We are proud to announce this important funding that will help preserve  the schoolhouse’s incredible history for years to come.” 

The Doe Creek Schoolhouse was built around 1870 and served the community until the late 1940s. The  site was restored in 2007 and contains original hand-hewn poplar logs.  

The Tennessee State Museum administers the competitive grants to museums and historic sites across  the state for accessibility improvements, window and roof repairs and replacements, foundation work,  and HVAC and electrical projects. 

Eighty-three museums across 46 counties received a Capital Maintenance and Improvement Grant this  year. Since the program’s inception in 2023, museums in 68 counties have been awarded funds to help  preserve Tennessee’s history.  

State Rep. Kirk Haston of House District 72 and State Rep. Brock Martin of House District 79 each represent  part of Henderson County.