Built in 1912, the Jenkins County Courthouse is considered one of the county's most historic structures. That history will soon be preserved in a historic structure report, made possible through a $10, 800 Georgia Heritage Grant recently awarded the Jenkins County Commissioners.

Gov. Sonny Perdue recently announced that the Jenkins County project was one of four to be funded with proceeds from sales of the historic preservation license plate. The grant program is administered by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

Historic Preservation Division Interim Director, Dr. Dave Crass said, "In 2008 we were able to fund only one $20,000 project that first year of revenue sales. So, we are pleased to have been able to fund four projects this second year. We hope that sales revenues will continue to grow each year to come."

The license plate, designed by Georgia artists Lanie Higgins of Planet Studio in Atlanta, was authorized by the 2005 Georgia General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Perdue. More than $20 from each $25 license tag fee goes to HPD's Georgia Heritage Grant Program, which provides funding for historic preservation projects around the state. The program ha awarded over $3 million in matching grants to 239 preservation projects in the state since 1995.

The first courthouse of Jenkins County was completed in March 1908, and burned Jan. 5, 1910. The present structure, almost identical to the first, was rebuilt within the following two years for $58,000 with the county floating bonds to pay for the construction. It was designed by Lewis F. Goodrick of Augusta.