KINGSTON, Tenn. (AP) - Tracing a family tree can be difficult in the South, where many court documents either were lost in the Civil War or to incidental fire at some point in their history.

Not so in Kingston, where the old Roane County Courthouse has gone unharmed since it was finished in 1854. The result is a large collection of documents attracting researchers and genealogists from as far as Alaska and Australia.

But it has been a struggle to preserve the old building, now owned by the Roane County Heritage Commission. Renovation of the building began in the 1980s, and the most recent round of improvements is expected to begin soon.