The Lawrence County Fairgrounds is on its way to getting a new barn. The fair board has recently appointed a committee to head up fundraising efforts for a new cattle barn.

Liebert’s was the first contributor, donating $5,000 to fundraising efforts.

The new barn will cost between $200,000 and $300,000, and will be built in the next five years. A construction company has volunteered to tear down the current barn when the new one is built.

Jim Gore, fair board vice president, said the current barn has been in use for as long as he can remember and is in poor condition.

Freddie Hayes, fair board president, agreed.

“It’s pretty much dilapidated,” Hayes said.

The old barn is old and floods when it rains.

The proposed barn will be 80 by 320 feet, approximately twice the size of the current structure. It will be similar to the old barn in that it will be an open pole barn. The new one will have concrete floors and a higher roof than the other barn.

The fair board recently replaced the chicken and rabbit building at the fair grounds, using $45,000 of the profits from this year’s fair.

Gore and Hayes said they encourage any one who wants to contribute to fundraising to contact them. Gore can be reached at 532-4780. Hayes can be reached at 304-617-4499.