The Promotions Committee of Jefferson Matters: Main Street is adding two more historical plaques to the downtown square in Jefferson.

Committee Member Deb McGinn says two more bronze plaques will honor Judge Robert Montgomery Rippey, who originally surveyed Greene County in 1854 and is the namesake of the City of Rippey and another plaque will be for the Friday Club.  It is the oldest Federated Club in the county that was founded in 1888 and they started the first public library in the community.

McGinn points out that they have eight other plaques on brick columns located at each of the four alleyways on the square.  The newest additions will be on the brick columns on the south side of the courthouse in front of the Abraham Lincoln statue.  The other eight plaques include Albert Head, Mahlon Head, Guy C. Richardson, Lincoln Highway, Scranton Water Tower, George Gallup, Dr. George Grimmell and his daughter Dr. Augustas Grimmell (on one plaque together) and Eva Leonard.

Each plaque costs $1,500 to make and they are manufactured by Jefferson Monuments and McGinn adds that they come with a QR code on the opposite side of the brick columns in which people can use their smartphones and access what that side of the square looked like in its beginnings to give people a walking tour of the square.  The QR codes are made by Ogren Graphics.

McGinn notes that the funds to pay for the historical project are from a combination of the City of Jefferson, Greene County and community-donated money from the streetscape fund.

It is to signify people from the county or events happened more than 25 years ago.  The goal is to fill each of the 22 brick columns.  They are accepting nominations for more plaques and donations for the project by calling or stopping by the Jefferson Matters office.