$7,500 Grant Received

DEKALB COUNTY GOVERNMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEKALB COUNTY
HISTORICAL SOCIETY AWARDED A TENNESSEE AMERICA 250 GRANT FROM THE
TENNESSEE COMMISSION FOR THE UNITED STATES SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL
GRANT WILL BE USED FOR DISPLAY CASES AT DEKALB COMMUNITY COMPLEX

SMITHVILLE, TN – MARCH 6 TH , 2026 – DeKalb County Government, in Partnership with the DeKalb County Historical Society, is a recipient of a $7,500.00 grant for Tennessee America 250 initiatives from the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. The grant award will be used to purchase Display Cases to be placed in the DeKalb Community Complex located at 712 South Congress Boulevard, Smithville, TN 37166. This display will be showcased in the hallway where the DeKalb County offices, including the County Clerk, Trustee, Register of Deeds, and Election Commission, are located. Citizens of
DeKalb County will encounter the exhibit when they come in to pay their taxes, obtain license tags, or cast an early vote, since the building is also used as a voting precinct. These display cases will house artifacts specifically related to past DeKalb County, Tennessee, residents who were veterans of the Revolutionary War.

The State of Tennessee made available funding to be administered by the Tennessee State Museum, on behalf of the Commission, to support statewide America 250 activities.

The second round of the Tennessee America 250 grant program was a highly competitive process. In total, the Commission received 365 applications, totaling $6,364,017 in requests. The Commission has made full or partial awards for 194 grants across the state, representing 73 counties, for a total of $2,267,058 awarded. A complete list of second-round Tennessee America 250 grantees, counties, and amounts is posted
at www.tn250.com.

“I am inspired by the excitement across the state to commemorate our nation’s 250 th anniversary,” said Ashley Howell, Executive Director of the Tennessee State Museum and Chair of the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. “This year will be filled with exhibitions, programs, festivals, and preservation of our local and state history. We hope that these projects inspire Tennesseans across the state to
engage with the anniversary in 2026.”

“The third try was the charm!” stated County Historian and Chairman of the DeKalb County, TN Historical Society. “We had applied to two other grants from the Tennessee State Museum, and we are very glad to get partial funding for these display cases and are planning to get DeKalb County artifacts placed in those cases as a start to curate DeKalb County, Tennessee History!”

The Tennessee America 250 Project Support Grants and Community Support Grants had maximum request amounts of $20,000 and $25,000, respectively. All projects funded in the second round must be completed by April 30, 2027.

About the DeKalb County, Tennessee Historical Society

The DeKalb County, Tennessee Historical Society’s Mission is “Preserving our DeKalb County, Tennessee History for OUR Future.” The Vision for the organization includes:
DeKalb County History Center, where the county’s historical artifacts can be shared with the public;

Digital preservation of the historic documents from the county; Exploring the possibility of additional Historic Districts to be formed in DeKalb County; Outreach to Youth and Schools; Oral History Project – Telling the Story of DeKalb County; and Advocating for Historic Preservation.

The organization meets in the DeKalb Room at the DeKalb Community Complex, 712 South Congress Boulevard, Smithville, TN 37166, on the first Tuesday of every month. Guest speakers and Historic Presentations are normally presented during the first part of every meeting. Any individual interested in DeKalb County and Tennessee History is invited to attend.

About the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial

The Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial was legislatively established by Public Chapter 384 of the Tennessee General Assembly in 2019. The Assembly created the Commission to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and recognize Tennessee’s integral role in that event and the impact of its people on the nation’s past, present, and future. For more information on Commission activities, please visit www.tn250.com.

About the Tennessee State Museum

Celebrating its 88th Anniversary in 2025, the Tennessee State Museum, is the administrative attachment of the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial. The Museum is located on the corner of Rosa L Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. It is home to thousands of years of Tennessee history, art, and culture. The Museum is free and open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. For more information on exhibitions and events, please visit TNMuseum.org.