The Dallas County Historic Preservation Commission has begun the process for getting the Dayton Stagecoach House added to the National Registry of Historic Places, getting some help from the Board of Supervisors along the way.

At the most recent Supervisors meeting, representatives from the Commission presented their plan for the Board to not only submit a letter of support for the proposal, but also to provide some funding to make it happen. They stated the requirements for the National Registry are complex and require a large amount of detail. As such, the Commission is looking into hiring a consultant to craft the proposal for them, which will cost $6,000. The representatives said a portion of that amount can be covered by a grant, but it would require an in-kind contribution of $2,400 from the County.

The Commission emphasized that if their application to the Registry was denied, the funds paid to the consultant would be void, so the County wouldn’t be on the hook for their share. The Supervisors found that arrangement agreeable, and approved the in-kind money to be paid from the Board special projects fund. Additionally, they approved the letter of support, signed by Supervisors Chair Mark Hanson, who is on the Commission himself. The Seth Dayton House is an old stagecoach stop located south of Bouton, and would be the first County-owned property to be added to the National Historic Registry. The Commission will learn if their request is successful this fall.