State Rep. Jerome Moon, R-Maryville, today announced $40,000 in state funding has been awarded to the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum in Townsend for capital maintenance and improvement projects.
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 Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum is an excellent place to learn about Blount County’s past,” Moon said. “I had the pleasure of working with the Daily Times editor Dean Stone for many decades, and the museum was a great passion of his. I’m incredibly grateful to the organization for carrying on his work and I look forward to the completion of these important projects.”
The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum was founded in 1982 and helps tell the story of the companies and people of the region.
The competitive grants are administered by the Tennessee State Museum 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. Jerome Moon represents House District 8, which includes part of Blount County.