City inks lease agreement with Historical Society for Allin House
By LYNETTE SOWELL
On Tuesday, a 10-year lease for Allin House was approved by the Copperas Cove city council.
The lease, in the amount of $10 per year, is between the city and the Copperas Cove Historical Society.
The city has been in talks with the Copperas Cove Historical Society since early 2023 on how the organization could use the home of Copperas Cove’s first mayor for historical education and events.
The Historical Society is responsible for paying for utilities, inspecting the property to prioritize repairs and improvements.
Also, the Historical Society will be responsible for seeking out grant funding to help pay for restoration and repairs.
The Allin House, located at 401 N. Main St., is city-owned property and is the home of the city’s first mayor.
According to the agenda information, the back porch of the Allin House has severe termite damage, and the home also has several broken antique windows, a battered brick front walkway, and dry rotting planks on the front porch.
Completed in 1913, the Allin House has been designated a Recorded Texas Historical Landmark, since 1998.
For its part of the lease, the City of Copperas Cove will allocate a total of $150,000 within six months of the lease, and that money will be set aside as matching funds for any grants that the society is able to obtain.
City Manager Ryan Haverlah said that the matching funds would not be distributed to the historical society, in the event of any grant awards.
Haverlah said that the city used to house the historic home for city functions, such as welcoming dignitaries to the region and city. It was also previously available to rent for private functions, but back in 2015, the council approved removing it from the fee schedule and not renting it out. In 2018, the city council had approved putting the home up for sale, but it ended up not being sold.
In addition to being responsible for writing the grant applications for the home, the historical society will report annually on the lease anniversary on activities related to the use of the premises as well as any grant activity.
Haverlah said the lease also has two additional five-year extension options, so it could be a total lease timeframe of 20 years.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the council also approved a payment to the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce for eligible expenses associate with Krist Kindl Markt, in the amount of $13,035.25.
The funds issued come from the city’s hotel occupancy tax fund. The money was spent on advertising ($5,000) and also $8,200 for the stage and live entertainment.
The council also approved a Professional Services Agreement with Elements of Architecture for architectural design and engineering services for the South Wastewater Treatment Plant Office/Lab Construction Project.
Likewise, the council gave its support for a grant submission by Chief of Police Eddie Wilson for a Justice Assistance Grant for the 2025 fiscal year.