Courthouse Preservation Program Receives $100 Million

Grant Applications Now Open; Master Plan Deadline March 13, 2026

The Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) is accepting Round 14 grant applications.

To be eligible to apply, counties must have a THCPP-approved master plan filed with the THC before March 13, 2026. All requirements and the timeline for THCPP Round 14, along with how to prepare a master plan, can be found on the THC’s website at thc.texas.gov/thcpp.

Grant applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8, 2026. The THC will announce grant recipients and awards at its quarterly meeting planned for late July 2026.

Participating counties can receive up to $10 million in cumulative assistance from the THCPP. The 89th Texas Legislature appropriated $100 million –  the most ever awarded by state lawmakers for the THCPP – for the 2026-27 biennial grant cycle.

“I am excited that we can award a historic amount of grant money for the counties this cycle,” shared THC Executive Director Joseph Bell. “I hope and anticipate that this increase in funding will allow a record number of counties to receive grants for full restoration or to address emergencies.”

Counties or cities that own a building 50 years or older and that functions, or previously functioned, as the primary seat of county government are eligible to participate.

The THCPP provides partial matching grants supporting the preservation of historic county courthouses. The program awards three types of grants:

• Planning Grants to produce architectural plans and specifications for a future full restoration;
• Construction Grants to fully restore a historic courthouse; and
• Emergency Grants to address critical issues endangering a historic courthouse or its occupants, including damage caused by natural disasters.

About the THCPP

Since its creation in 1999, the program has worked with nearly 150 counties and awarded more than $400 million to fully restore 81 courthouses and provide smaller grants to assist with emergency and planning projects. Courthouse preservation projects have created more than 16,000 jobs in Texas, generated nearly $1.5 billion in gross state product, and returned about $86 million to Texas state and local governments through tax revenue. Restored courthouses reinvigorate historic downtowns and promote heritage tourism, a $10.4 billion industry in Texas.

THCPP Round 13 Grant Awards

During the last grant cycle, the THC awarded matching grants totaling $46,224,170 to nine counties. The grants were made possible through a $45 million appropriation by the 88th Texas Legislature and an additional $3 million to $4 million from the Historic Infrastructure Sustainability Trust Fund.