The Tennessee Historical Commission will begin accepting grant applications for historic preservation projects for the 2013-2014 fiscal year beginning Friday.
The amount of funds available for grants in Tennessee is expected to be approximately $200,000. After review, applications will be rated and ranked. Funding decisions will be made when the exact amount of the federal allocation is known. This normally occurs by December but could be as late as August 2014.
The selection progress will emphasize projects such as architectural and archaeological surveys, design guidelines for historic districts and the rehabilitation of historic buildings that are listed in the National Register and have a public use. 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. Surveys should identify and record historic districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects significant to Tennessee’s history and built before 1965. Surveys may be for a specific geographic area or for sites associated with themes or events significant in the state’s history, such as the development of railroads in the 19th century or the development of motor tourism in the 20th century.
Assistance is also available for other types of historic preservation projects. These may include preservation planning studies for towns, neighborhoods and historic districts; the preparation of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places; the rehabilitation of buildings and predevelopment work necessary to undertake rehabilitation. Rehabilitation and restoration of historic buildings must follow the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
The grants will pay up to 60 percent of the costs of approved project work. The grant recipient must provide the remaining 40 percent of the costs as matching funds.
Completed applications must be submitted by Jan. 31.
Applications for grants will be available Friday and are available from the Tennessee Historical Commission, 2941 Lebanon Road, Nashville, Tennessee 37243. Applications may also be downloaded from the Historical Commission’s website at http://www.tn.gov/environment/history/history_preservation-grants.shtml.
For more information about the Tennessee Historical Commission, please visit http://www.tn.gov/environment/history/ or call 615.532-1550.