It was meant to be a Christmas present, but now it seems Lawrence's former courthouse will not be gifted to the community until later this year.
The Lawrence Heritage Trust is raising money to buy the courthouse for community use.
It planned to buy the property by Christmas but this was delayed due to lack of funds.
Trust chairman Roger Cotton said it needed to raise $50,000 to buy the courthouse but had only raised about $20,000.
As of last week it had $10,000 from the Otago Community Trust, a $5000 reimbursement for work done at the property, funds from its online fundraising page and private donations.
Mr Cotton did not know how much it had raised online and privately.
It had applied for $20,000 from the Alexander McMillan Trust and $3000 from the Tuapeka West Community Trust.
''I'm confident we will get there eventually,'' Mr Cotton said.
Other projects the trust was undertaking took the focus away from the courthouse, he said.
It was also working on the Lawrence Arches project, and restoring a cottage on the town's main street, Ross Pl.
It also owns the former Methodist church which it rents to an antique dealer.
''We had to prioritise a little bit. We've been slowly simmering away, doing bits and pieces [at the courthouse],'' Mr Cotton said.
''We're very fortunate to be in the position we are at having a realistic shot of purchasing it.''
Mr Cotton hoped by the end of March the trust would have enough funds to sign a purchase and sale agreement.
The trust started fundraising for the courthouse purchase in 2016.
It was built in 1874-75.
If the trust was successful in buying the courthouse, Mr Cotton said restoration and renovation would be an entirely different project from the purchase. It would raise money by other funding applications.
Mr Cotton said the owners of the courthouse wished to remain anonymous at this time.
