While many records were lost in the burning of the courthouse in 1863, and then again in 1926, others were stored off-site in an adjacent building that did not burn. However, once the new courthouse was built, the remaining records were stored in a damp basement, causing damage to what was left of the old records. One of the projects in the Genealogy Room, managed by the Historical Society, is the ongoing restoration of historical records of Perry County.
This has left us with the enormous task of restoring the books to a condition where the State of Tennessee will microfiche the remaining records. However, the mold must first be removed. It is an enormous task involving sunning the books page by page outside, then brushing each page to remove the mold dust, a delicate operation. Volunteers are welcome to participate in this endeavor. Just call Michelle Pounders in the Genealogy Room to let her know you want to participate.
Once the records are copied by the State of Tennessee, they will then be available to be read on the new microfiche machine which was recently purchased with the aid of a grant from the State of Tennessee. The quality of the existing microfiche records will be greatly enhanced, and copies can then be made and printed at an adjacent printer or even emailed.