New license plate ‘Historic Maury' would support county preservation
If history is told through images, Maury County is making use of that fact to display its historic legacy with a new vanity license plate featuring an artist’s rendering of the county’s most visibly familiar structure – the county courthouse.
There is only one catch to putting this plate on vehicles anywhere in the state, that being for Maury County Historic Society to sell 1,000 units before production can begin, according to president of the organization and Maury County Commission Chairman, Eric Previti.
“We’ve had a bit of trouble selling the needed amount of tags so far,” Previti said. “We really need people to step up for this one.”
The concept tag was developed four years ago with the help of local artist Susan Jones, and put to task through the required process of state legislature-approved production with Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, and Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, both supporting the bill to create the plate.
In Spring of 2022, a proposal for the car tag reached the state, Previti said.
When the county did not meet their sales goal in time last year, they received a year extension, stretching out until the end of June 2024 to sell the required units.
Currently, Previti said only 200 units have sold to date, leaving 800 needed to make the concept tags actual plates on vehicle bumpers.
The push to lend a creative hand to Maury County’s historic preservation efforts has also attracted the support of well-known local, Mike Wolfe from the TV show, American Pickers as well.
“This effort serves as a boost to further funding on projects that help preserve historic Maury,” Previti said. “Even though the plate is locally focused, anyone in the state can purchase a plate.”
The $90 vanity car tag includes the normal price of vehicle tag registration with an added $35 deposit, that will be refunded, should the required units not be sold in time.
Though MCHS is hoping that the plate moves from concept to reality.
“This is a fundraiser for the Historic Society,” Previti said, adding that it may help in aiding grant monies to preserve many of the county’s most beloved sites and structures.
In a tangible way, Previti said, structures such as the James K. Polk home in Downtown Columbia, the Athenaeum Rectory to stretches of trail that echo the past of the Civil War, will benefit from the funding effort to keep the story of Maury County in perpetuity.
The end goal will yield tag production as soon as the required units are sold. For more details on purchasing an Historic Maury tag, visit www.historicmaury.com.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: New license plate ‘Historic Maury' would support county preservation
