The Taylor Inn is currently under renovation.[/caption]County commissioners voted during Monday’s Collin County Commissioners Court meeting to approve $1,000 in emergency funding for the Taylor Inn.
According to court documents, the funds will go toward a project on the “Two-Bit” Taylor Inn, an 1863 Salt Box style home used as a boarding house that is currently being renovated.
The funds are part of the county’s historical commissions annual budget, which covers activities focused on historical preservation, education, and support all historical programs that operate in the county, according Eric Nishimoto, county public information officer.
“One program the commission has is a grant program, which provides some of the commission’s funds to these local groups, as long as they have a 501(c)(3) designation, for their activities,” he said. “This grant program is competitive and applications are accepted, reviewed and grants awarded once a year. Besides this grant program, the commission recognized several years ago that there was also a need for funds for unforeseen emergency-type funding outside of the grant program’s funding cycle, so they budget between $1,000-2,000 per year to hold aside just in case any local historical group has such a need.”
During renovation by the Heritage Guild of Collin County, which oversees Chestnut Square, structural bracing estimated to cost $3,000 actually totaled $8,000. The final cost was more than the predicted budget or funds allocated for the expense, according to court documents.
Jaymie Pedigo, executive director of Heritage Guild of Collin County, said the group is honored to receive those funds.
“As the stewards of eight buildings that are 100 years or older, it is our duty to preserve and protect them to the best of our abilities," said Pedigo. "Unfortunately, cost overruns are a way of life in the restoration and upkeep of our facilities. The emergency grant from the Collin County Historical Commission will help bridge the gap between our expected expense to stabilize the 150-year-old Taylor Inn and the actual bill."
In the seven years that the emergency fund has been available, such funds have been awarded in five of those years.
“In the past, they’ve provided emergency funding to repair such items as door replacement due to a break-in, a chimney that was found to be on the verge of collapse, which is a real hazard for a historical venue hosting hundreds of visitors and schoolchildren,” Nishimoto said. “[It has also provided funding for] air conditioning repairs during the summer, which kept historical artifacts safe.”
