Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau today announced 25 Historic Preservation Fund grants were awarded to community organizations for programs and activities that support the preservation of historic and archaeological sites, districts and structures.
“Maintaining Tennessee’s historic places is critical to preserving our state’s heritage,” Haslam said. “Today’s announcement represents more than $600,000 in assistance to communities across the state, ensuring that Tennessee’s rich history will continue to be shared with future generations.”
The grants awarded come from federal funds allocated by the Department of Interior under the provisions of the Natural Historic Preservation Act.
The programs authorized by this act are administered by the Tennessee Historical Commission. The grants pay for up to 60% of the costs of approved project work and the grant recipient must provide the remaining 40% of the costs as matching funds.
“These grants help facilitate the protection and revitalization of Tennessee’s treasured historic buildings, sites and neighborhoods – places that make our state unique,” Patrick McIntyre, Executive Director of the Tennessee Historical Commission said. “Heritage tourism is one of our state’s biggest industries and restoring historic buildings creates construction jobs and is key to helping create a sustainable environment.”
This year’s selection included architectural and archaeological surveys, design guidelines for historic districts, rehabilitation of several historic buildings and a poster highlighting the state’s history. Priorities for grants include areas experiencing rapid growth and development, other threats to cultural resources, areas where there are gaps in knowledge regarding cultural resources and communities that participate in the Certified Local Government program. Another important category of awarded grants are those for the repair and restoration of some of the state’s historic buildings. Properties that use these grants must be listed in the National Register.
The grant recipients and/or sites of the projects include:
In Hamblen County:
· City of Morristown - $15,000 for a survey of the commercial core of the city.
In Hamilton County:
· City of Chattanooga - $10,050 for design guidelines for some of the city’s historic districts.
In Jackson County:
· City of Gainesboro - $14,400 for rehabilitation of windows in the National Register-listed Fox School.
In Knox County:
· Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission - $7,500 for design guidelines for some of the city’s historic districts.
· Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission - $3,500 for a one-day window workshop with Bob Yapp.
· Blount Mansion Association - $22,000 for rehabilitation of windows of the National Historic Landmark Blount Mansion.
In Monroe County:
· Monroe County - $25,000 for rehabilitation of brickwork on the National Register-listed Monroe County Courthouse.
In Polk County:
· Polk County - $25,000 for masonry and window rehabilitation on the National Register-listed Polk County Courthouse.
In Roane County:
· City of Harriman - $40,355 for the structural repair and stabilization of the Temperance Building.
In Robertson County:
· Tennessee State Museum Foundation - $3,000 for a geophysical/GPR survey of an African American cemetery on the National Register-listed Wessyngton property.
In Sumner County:
· Tennessee Division of Archaeology – $5,000 for remote sensing survey on the Rutherford-Kizer archaeological site.
In Williamson County:
· City of Franklin - $5,160 for a preservation plan for the National Register-listed Rest Haven Cemetery and Franklin City Cemetery.
In Wilson County:
· Wilson County Black History Committee / Roy Bailey African American Museum Commission History Center - $22,200 rehabilitation of the National Register-listed Pickett Chapel.
Multi-County Grants:
· Tennessee Preservation Trust – $15,000 to fund the 2014 Statewide Historic Preservation Conference.
· Tennessee History for Kids - $10,000 to fund posters for Tennessee schools and libraries, highlighting historic preservation in Tennessee.
· Middle Tennessee State University - $50,000 to digitize data for historic/architectural survey files and for survey data entry for computerization of survey files.
· South Central Tennessee Development District - $50,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the South Central Tennessee Development District.
· East Tennessee Development District - $32,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the East Tennessee Development District.
· First Tennessee Development District - $25,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the First Tennessee Development District.
· Greater Nashville Regional Council - $25,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Greater Nashville Regional Council.
· Southeast Tennessee Development District - $52,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Southeast Tennessee Development District.
· Southwest Tennessee Development District - $54,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Southwest Tennessee Development District.
· Upper Cumberland Development District - $50,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Upper Cumberland Development District.
· Memphis Area Association of Governments - $32,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Memphis Area Association of Governments.
· Northwest Tennessee Development District - $36,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Northwest Tennessee Development District.
For more information about the Tennessee Historical Commission, please visit the website at: www.tn.gov/environment/hist.