NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton, announced $72,000 in grant funding was awarded to Rhea County for museum and historic site improvements.
The funds are part of a $5 million appropriation approved by the General Assembly in the 2024-25 state budget for Tennessee State Museum Capital Maintenance and Improvement program.
“While Rhea County is notoriously known for the Scopes Trial, if you dive deeper, you would be amazed at the rich history in our community,” Travis said in a statement. “This grant funding will help county leaders make necessary improvements to best serve citizens and visitors from across the nation. I greatly appreciate the Tennessee State Museum for their support.”
Grantees can use the funding for projects like building or land improvements, roof repairs, HVAC projects and accessibility updates.
There were over 150 grant applications in 2024, totaling $10.5 million in funding requests, according to the Tennessee State Museum.
As of this release, the Museum has made full or partial awards to 83 museums across the state, representing 46 counties. In the two years the Museum has administered the grant program, it has served 68 counties in the state.
For a full list of grantees, counties and amounts, visit https://tnmuseum.org/grants.
Ron Travis represents District 31 which includes Bledsoe, Rhea, Sequatchie and Van Buren Counties.
