WASHINGTON— Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett, along
with Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Chairman John L Nau III, today
announced 43 Preserve America grants in 25 states totaling $2.9 million.
The application period for round two of 2008 is now open with a deadline
of June 30 to apply for grants of $4.3 million to be awarded in September.
The Deputy Secretary made the announcement on behalf of Mrs. Laura Bush,
Honorary Chair of Preserve America. Preserve America is a White House initiative
that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our
nation’s heritage. Scarlett and Nau co-chair the Preserve America initiative.
"Preserve America ensures that historic properties, artifacts, and communities throughout the nation are preserved to be enjoyed by future generations," Mrs. Bush said. "These grants promote cultural and natural preservation, and encourage greater appreciation of our national heritage."
The Preserve America co-chairs also announced today that the maximum size of each grant has been increased from $150,000 to $250,000. In 2006 and 2007, $9.8 million was awarded to 140 projects. In FY 2008, a total of $7.2 million was available. The most recent grants totaling $2.9 million leave a balance of $4.3 million for a second round of grants to be awarded in September.
The Preserve America grant program, which began in 2006, is administered by the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service in partnership with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The competitive matching grants fund Preserve America Communities, State Historic Preservation Offices, and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices to support their preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education and historic preservation planning.
“These Preserve America grants help weave cultural and natural heritage into the economic, educational, and social fabric of communities by promoting heritage tourism,” said Scarlett.
“Preserve America grants help communities learn about their history and share it with visitors. These grants make the story of America come alive and create a better understanding of our diverse and rich cultures,” said Nau.
More information on Preserve America, including a complete list of grant recipients, criteria and application forms for various initiative programs, can be found at www.PreserveAmerica.gov.
A list of the 43 projects follows.
2008 Preserve America Grants
Round 1
(By State)
Downtown Anchorage Historic Walking Tour and Education Project
Anchorage, Alaska
$20,000
As Anchorage prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Alaska’s
statehood in 2009, the city and its partners will launch a new website, develop
a walking tour, install historical markers, and create an education program
that provides materials to teachers. In completing these tasks, Anchorage
seeks to provide visitors with consistent, free, and easily accessible options
to explore Anchorage’s history and enhance heritage tourism.
Hualapai Heritage Trails Projects
Hualapai Tribal Nation, Arizona
$40,000
The Hualapai Tribe will preserve and promote five existing cultural heritage
trails for the benefit of the local tribal community and visiting tourists
with the expectation of an expanded economic tourist base for the Tribe.
Funding will provide archeological and ethnographic surveys of the trail
sites and create interpretive signage, a brochure, and map.
Santa Monica Beach Cultural Mapping Project
Santa Monica, California
$100,000
Capitalizing on its greatest asset – its beach, Santa Monica’s
goal is to highlight people and events that shaped the history and culture
of the Southern California beach that significantly influenced popular culture
in America and abroad. Stories from the days of Jim Crow relate how use of
the beach was the subject of racial tensions as African-Americans fought
for equal access. Later the beach provided the backdrop for the birth of
beach volleyball, the international physical fitness movement launched at
Muscle Beach as well as the American Skateboarding revolution. Funds will
support an experienced historian to survey key sites, events, and individuals
to create an inventory of resources and materials. This will provide the
foundation for the future development of cultural markers and interpretive
plaques, walking tours, and exhibits.
Southern Otero County Rural Resources Survey
Otero County, Colorado
$50,000
Otero County will survey private lands in Southern Otero County in an effort
to develop heritage tourism with the involvement of local ranchers – the
primary landowners. The survey will include an historic context and thematic
study based upon the archeological and architectural findings of the survey
teams and will result in the listing of properties on the National Register
of Historic Places.
Redstone Coke Ovens Education and Interpretation Program
Pitkin County, Colorado
$25,000
Pitkin County will develop an education and interpretive program for the
Redstone Coke Ovens Historic Park. The program will educate the public, direct
foot and car traffic, and promote the site throughout the community.
Using Historic Theaters to Promote Southeast Colorado Historic Sites
Prowers County, Colorado
$50,000
Prowers County, in partnership with the Southeast Colorado Regional Heritage
Taskforce representing several other Southeast Colorado Preserve America
communities, will develop a series of film shorts on the heritage sites in
the region. Featured sites will include Camp Amache National Historic Landmark,
Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, and Bent’s Old Fort National
Historic Site. The films will be shown prior to first-run commercial films
in the historic movies theaters in the region, and will encourage audiences
to visit the historic sites located in their backyards.
Historic Wethersfield Wayfinding Signage and Gateway Enhancement
Wethersfield, Connecticut
$90,000
This project will enable the Town of Wethersfield to utilize the recommended
sign design from the Historic Wethersfield Master Plan. It will proceed with
the recommended placement of signs, the installation of directional and informational
signs, and the implementation of recommended improvements to the main gateway
from the interstate to the historic area.
City of Lewes Off-Season Maritime Historic Tourism Plan
Lewes, Delaware
$35,000
The City of Lewes’s downtown historic district is listed in the National
Register of Historic Places, and was designated as one of a Dozen Distinctive
Designations in 2006 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. With
a population of 3,000, the city contains an impressive number of historic
homes, structures, and sites focused on the City’s maritime history,
including the historic Overfalls Lightship, which is one of only 17 remaining
lightships in the country. Lewes will use funds to increase heritage tourism
through planning for a better visitor experience year-round. The plan will
develop an integrated multi-media approach that includes audio tours, brochures
with detailed maps, interpretative signage, and radio broadcasts. This will
provide off-season visitors the opportunity to learn about the many significant
places and events that have taken place over the nearly four centuries of
Lewes’ maritime history.
Downtown Directional Wayfinding Signage Program
Kennesaw, Georgia
$50,000
The City of Kennesaw boasts a rich heritage dating to the 1830s when the
town was founded in conjunction with the construction of a rail line through
Cobb County. The keystone of the downtown historic district is the Railroad
Depot which now houses museum exhibits, artifacts, and photographs related
to the history of Kennesaw. The City of Kennesaw will develop and design
a consistent, comprehensive and uniform system of directional and way-finding
signage with enhanced pedestrian, vehicular, parking and gateway features.
City of Boise Local Landmarks
Boise, Idaho
$20,000
The City plans to research and write city landmark nominations for 30 properties
(that are not well documented nor locally designated) and publish a Boise
City Local Landmarks brochure and a walking tour brochure in order to expanding
heritage tourism and bringing awareness of historic resources.
Tour de Lafayette
Lafayette, Indiana
$21,750
The City of Lafayette will develop interpretive and educational materials
using technology such as podcasts and the Internet to digitally link the
nine historic districts located within Lafayette. This endeavor will enable
the City of Lafayette to encourage preservation of oral traditions, provide
updated information on their historic resources and equip visitors with the
necessary tools to better appreciate the City’s heritage and cultural
resources.
“Hollywood in the Heartland”
Iowa State Historic Preservation Office
$45,300
The Iowa State Historic Preservation Office will engage the public in Iowa’s
movie legacy through several heritage tourism activities designed to stimulate
interest in this aspect of the state’s history. The “Hollywood
in the Heartland” initiative will celebrate Iowa’s relationship
with the movie industry through an examination of the people and places related
to the development and consumption of motion pictures.
Junior Main Street Program
Oskaloosa, Iowa
$90,000
The Junior Main Street Program will bring students and teachers together
in collaboration with various community organizations to develop heritage
tourism and preservation projects within the community as a focus for cross-curricular
education. The projects, such as the development of self-guided walking tours,
are envisioned to promote community sustainability through an understanding
and awareness of the community’s heritage, build future leadership
from participating students, and be a model for other communities and states.
Louisiana Main to Main: A Cultural Roadshow
Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office
$150,000
The Louisiana State Preservation Office will work in partnership with the
Louisiana Main Street program to identify, showcase, and promote cultural
assets unique to Main Street communities, and expand promotion of the annual
Cultural Road Show initiative. The project will include involvement from
Louisiana’s Main Street and Preserve America communities.
Conference for Local Preservation Commissions of Preserve America Communities
New Orleans, Louisiana
$20,480
In continuing to revive New Orleans’s tourism and convention industry,
the City will develop workshop sessions and tours showcasing New Orleans’s
heritage tourism efforts. The project will provide local preservationists
tools and information for protecting historic resources and enhancing their
heritage tourism. Sessions and tours will be offered by the National Alliance
of Preservation Commissions’ biennial National Commission Forum and
are envisioned to grow into a full conference track at future Forums. This
will be the first time the over 500 Preserve America communities will be
invited to a national gathering and offered training.
Point to the Past Heritage Interpretation Project
Portland, Maine
$62,000
The City of Portland will expand and enhance the interpretation of Portland’s
landmarks and history by using GPS devices to provide information and interpretation
of historic resources to visitors and residents. This pilot program will
focus on specific historic resources to determine if this type of technology
will enhance the visitors’ experience.
Public History in Public Places for Saco Bay Cities
Saco, Maine
$37,500
The City of Saco will promote heritage tourism in the region, improve local
history instruction in the schools, and create a new awareness of local and
regional history in the community and the Saco Bay region. Funds will pay
for the creation of three history exhibits (two stationary and one traveling)
on local and regional history, and an interpretative regional history guide
and traveling truck for use by teachers in the classroom.
Annapolis City Hall Restoration
Annapolis, Maryland
$75,000
The City of Annapolis will conduct a Historic Structures Report, including
paint analysis, development of architectural drawings, and other planning
documents needed for the restoration of the Annapolis City Hall. The City
Hall is a contributing structure in a National Register Historic District,
is listed on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places, and is a designated
local landmark.
Conspiracy! Port Tobacco and the Plot to Assassinate President Lincoln
Charles County, Maryland
$60,000
Charles County will collect information through detailed archival and archaeological
research on the setting in which conspirators planned the abduction and assassination
of President Lincoln, Vice President Johnson and Secretary Seward in March
1865. The final report will provide vital information for interpretation,
nomination and possible acquisition of properties in Port Tobacco related
to this nationally significant event in American history.
Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway Gateway/Wayfinding Project
Frederick, Maryland
$150,000
The City of Frederick will develop a comprehensive wayfinding and gateway
signage system in Frederick that will serve as a prototype for other communities
located along the Catoctin Mountain Scenic Byway in Maryland.
Rockville Historic Building Inventory Catalog
City of Rockville, Maryland
$20,000
The City of Rockville will utilize Preserve America funds to update their
Historic Building Inventory and Catalog to reflect the resources excluded
from the catalog since the last update eighteen years ago.
Back-in-Time: Tales of the Village
Douglas, Michigan
$23,265
In partnership with local schools and District library, the City of Douglass
will create educational and interpretive materials in order to provide better
information on the City’s historic and cultural resources.
Ferndale Heritage Tourism and Wayfinding Project
Ferndale, Michigan
$120,000
The City of Ferndale will create a marketing project that will incorporate
wayfinding signage, plaques, and self guided tours to promote Ferndale’s
downtown historic resources.
Montana Places: Expanding the Cultural and Historical Record of Montana
Montana Historical Society (State Historic Preservation Office)
$149,979
The Montana Historical Society will provide subgrants to several communities
with a strong need to survey and inventory historic resources so that they
have proper documentation for preservation of their historic resources. Funds
will also be used to hold a Tribal Heritage Resource Summit for Montana’s
Indian Tribes for the purpose of identifying potential areas of survey and
specific undocumented landscapes and historic cultural resources important
to Montana’s Native American history.
Marketing Campaign for Historic Downtown Cortland’s
Cultural Events
Cortland, New York
$105,000
The City of Cortland will develop a marketing campaign that integrates its
historic downtown with its cultural events in order to find the most effective
message, target market and media delivery. The end result will be a planning
document that guides future marketing efforts of historic downtown Cortland.
The Tappan Zee Bridge: Transforming Rockland County
Rockland County, New York
$150,000
Rockland County will develop an educational and interpretive program chronicling
the rich and dramatic history of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Elements of this
project will include the fabrication of an exhibit to be displayed at the
Historical Society of Rockland County as well as the development of a curriculum
for Rockland County schools.
The Gilded Age of Roxbury
Roxbury, New York
$66,750
The Town of Roxbury will promote their heritage tourism programs and expand
upon their current interpretive materials to engage visitors. Roxbury is
the birthplace of railroad magnate Jay Gould and naturalist John Burroughs.
The hamlet of Roxbury retains is seminal 19th Century architecture, which
has resulted in the entire hamlet being listed in the National Register of
Historic Places.
Village of Owego Heritage Tourism and Education Program
Owego, New York
$20,000
The Village of Owego will develop signage, walking tour brochures, historic
information kiosks, maps, additions and improvements to interpretive markers,
and training for tour guides. Through a coordinated effort with its many
private and public partners the Village seeks to establish an organized heritage
tourism program that will highlight heritage assets and educate youth, citizens,
and visitors to their rich cultural and architectural history.
Preserve the Grove: Adaptive Use Study and Site Plan
Putnam County, New York
$23,180
The Grove, an Italianate villa designed by the eminent architect Richard
Upjohn, is located in the Village of Cold Spring along Route 9 Scenic Byway
and is an important cultural landmark of Putnam County. The objective of
this project is two-fold: first, prepare an adaptive reuse study, and second,
develop an appropriate site plan. It is envisioned that The Grove could become
an information center for historic attractions, local businesses, and outdoor
activities; therefore, tying in all tourism aspects of the area.
Culturally Connecting America’s Hometown: Fayetteville/Cumberland
County Wayfinding Initiative
Fayetteville, North Carolina
$150,000
The City of Fayetteville’s primary objectives for this project are
to plan, design, and implement a complete wayfinding signage system throughout
Fayetteville/Cumberland County, with an emphasis on historic and cultural
resources.
Recent Past Historic Context and Dayton-Area Pilot Survey Project
Ohio Historical Society (State Historic Preservation Office)
$87,656
The Ohio Historical Society plans to stem the tide by developing a historic
context document that outlines the important social, political, and economic
trends that shaped land use decisions, architectural styles, and building
technology during the mid-20th century in Ohio. Significant resources associated
with the “Recent Past” (1940-1970) are under-identified, under-appreciated,
and beginning to disappear. With Dayton, Ohio serving as a case study, this
context will provide all of Ohio’s communities, State, and Federal
agencies with important information for heritage tourism, education, and
economic development projects involving the valuable historic resources of
the “Recent Past.”
Downtown Salem Historic Marker Program
Salem, Oregon
$70,000
In order to promote preservation and increase citizen awareness of their
historic downtown, the City of Salem will create a unique downtown logo,
a template for historical markers, and the install 50 markers. In addition,
the City’s existing downtown walking tour brochure will be redesigned
and printed and a website created, allowing both residents and tourists to
explore downtown Salem’s historic treasures.
Cheltenham Township “Richard Wall House Museum
Collections Project”
Cheltenham, Pennsylvania
$20,000
The Township of Cheltenham will hire a consultant to document, inventory,
and catalog the costume, clothing, and textiles collection of the Richard
Wall House Museum. This endeavor will enable the Museum to better interpret
Cheltenham’s three hundred years of local history.
Preserving Pennsylvania’s African American Heritage: An Initiative
for Education, Community Revitalization & Economic Development
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (State Historic Preservation
Office)
$142,250
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) will develop a comprehensive
survey and context study on African American historic and cultural resources
throughout the state of Pennsylvania. This study will provide guidance for
public programs and nominations for resources to local, state, and National
inventories. The funds will also enable PHMC to allow Pennsylvania communities
to develop and implement African American heritage tourism projects through
a sub-granting program.
Fairmount Park Sculpture Interpretive Project
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Fairmount Park Commission)
$50,000
With a large concentration of public art, possibly the largest collection
of outdoor sculpture in the nation, located along Philadelphia’s “museum
mile,” the City and Fairmount Park Commission will use funds to promote
and cultivate an understanding of the many pieces of public art and sculpture
found along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Fairmount Park corridor through
interpretive signs coupled with a brochure and an online presence.
Historical Inventory, Interpretive Signage, and Historical Interactive Displays
East Providence, Rhode Island
$25,000
The City of East Providence will conduct a historical inventory, background
research, and the installation of interpretive signage for Hunt’s Mills,
a site that displays Rhode Island’s contribution to the Industrial
Revolution.
Historic Sites Coalition of Rhode Island - Business Planning Project
Rhode Island Preservation and Heritage Commission (State Historic Preservation
Office)
$35,434
The Rhode Island Preservation and Heritage Commission will improve and implement
the non-profit business practices of Rhode Island’s historic sites
by creating business plans for volunteer historic sites, developing a methodology
and model for historic site business planning, and recommending a business
strategy for the Historic Sites Coalition of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island
State Historic Preservation Office has determined that many of the State’s
historic sites do not consistently operate at a level of excellence in visitor
services or preservation practices. Organizations that do not operate effectively
jeopardize the resources they protect. Effective management will result in
increased visitation, and more comprehensive resource protection.
Birth of a City: The History of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
$150,000
The City of Oak Ridge, a government town built under a cloak of secrecy during
World War II as part of the Manhattan Project, is approaching its fiftieth
Anniversary as an incorporated city. Historical records pertaining to its
founding and development are known to be scattered throughout the community.
Funds will assist with completing an inventory of existing records, files,
and other historical materials; conducting oral history interviews of key
city officials and community leaders; developing an interpretive exhibit
on Oak Ridge’s history; and creating educational materials for curricular
and scholarly use.
Gateway to Historic Galveston
Galveston, Texas
$30,000
The City of Galveston will promote its historical resources through an improved
system of marketing, gateways, wayfinding, and interpretation. This system
of interpretation is needed in order to better market historic Galveston
to tourists and visitors.
Osceola Heritage Awareness and Marketing Program
Osceola, Wisconsin
$36,000
The Village of Osceola is a small community of 2,700 residents located on
the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Originally settled in 1844, the village
maintains a collection of buildings dating from the 1880s that form the core
of the downtown. The Downtown Historic District is listed in the National
Register of Historic Places. The Village of Osceola will develop a public
awareness campaign and create marketing materials in order to better promote
and increase visitation to the village. The ultimate goal of the project
is to further economic growth and cultural vitality.
Wisconsin Historic Building Image Digitization Project
Wisconsin Historical Society (State Historic Preservation Office)
$150,000
This project will complete the digitization of approximately 175,000 photographs
of historic buildings for Wisconsin’s online Architecture and History
Inventory database located at www.wisconsinhistory.org/ahi. The visual record
of these historic buildings will greatly enhance user experiences by bringing
the raw building data to life and will make information easier to access
for efforts to promote heritage tourism and education throughout the state.
Cheyenne Heritage Education Project
Cheyenne, Wyoming
$52,500
As the capital of Wyoming, Cheyenne serves as one of the primary gateways
to the State; however, it lacks signage that interprets and educates the
public of its important heritage. Funds will be used to research and write
interpretative and educational materials, design and install twenty-one historical
markers, and print both walking and driving tour pamphlets for free distribution
to the approximate 1.5 million yearly visitors to Cheyenne.
Evanston’s Historic Roundhouse & Rail Yards
Visitor Center Planning Project
Evanston, Wyoming
$30,000
The City of Evanston will develop a comprehensive architectural design plan
which will enable the City to plan for the preservation and adaptive reuse
of the “Oil House” as a visitor center.