The Douglas County Courthouse has been the center for county activity for more than 100 years.

“It’s just a grand old building and I think of it as the cornerstone of our community,” said Douglas County Commissioner Jere McElhaney. “It’s old. It’s historic. It’s in good shape and it’s been well taken care of. But just like anything else with age it needs some maintenance.”

The Douglas County commissioners last December approved hiring Treanor Architects for $48,480 to perform a condition assessment on the building and develop a multiyear preservation plan. DGM Consultants will work with Treanor as a subcontractor.

In March, commissioners also approved applying for a $90,000 grant through the Heritage Trust Fund to help with costs associated with consulting fees involved with preservation of the courthouse, 1100 Mass.

The contract with Treanor will include developing a preservation plan for stonework and preparing grant applications for possible future renovations.

About two years ago, the county spent $60,000 cleaning the building’s stone exterior and painting the window frames. A $159,999 fire-sprinkler system was installed in 2002, and money also was spent to overhaul offices.