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Gil Gilbert for St. Bartholomew's Conservancy, Inc.
News Release Date: August 20, 2024
Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov
WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) today announced $25.7 million in Save America’s Treasures grants to fund 59 projects that will preserve nationally significant sites and historic collections in 26 states and the District of Columbia.
“The Save America’s Treasures program began 25 years ago and continues to enable communities across the United States to preserve and conserve their nationally significant historic properties and collections,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “It’s fitting to celebrate this milestone anniversary through a wide range of projects that help to pass the full history of America and its people down to future generations.”
Since 1999, the Save America’s Treasures program has provided over $405 million from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to more than 1,400 projects to provide preservation and conservation work on nationally significant collections, artifacts, structures, and sites. Previous awards have gone toward restoring the Park Inn Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; the USS Intrepid, an Essex class carrier on display in Manhattan; and the Saturn V Launch Vehicle, a three-stage rocket designed for a lunar landing mission.
Today’s award of $25,705,000 will be matched by almost $50 million in private and public investment. NPS partners with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services to award the grants.
Established in 1977, the HPF has provided more than $2 billion in historic preservation grants to states, Tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations. Administered by NPS, HPF grant funds are appropriated by Congress annually to support a variety of historic preservation projects to help preserve the nation’s cultural and historic resources.
The HPF, which uses revenue from federal offshore oil and gas leases, supports a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars. The intent behind the HPF is to mitigate the loss of nonrenewable resources through the preservation of other irreplaceable resources.
Applications for next year’s round of the Save America's Treasures Grant Program will open in the fall of 2024. $25.5 million in funding will be available.
Examples of today’s awarded grants include:
- Historic Hudson Valley will use grant funding to address water penetration and deteriorating masonry at the historic Ivy Cottage located at Sunnyside, the New York home of early American author Washington Irving. Irving lived at Sunnyside from 1835 until his death in 1859. As an author, Irving helped to build a truly American literary landscape; as a property, Sunnyside became one of the physical landmarks of the American Romantic movement. The grantee will provide $640,365 of matching funds.
- The Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation will digitize 2,000 videotapes from their archival collections which document the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building, the largest domestic terrorist attack on U.S. soil. This digitization will update the outdated formats the collection currently consists of and will provide video stabilization work. The grantee will provide $89,428 in matching funds.
- Michigan Technological University will digitize and organize historic copper mining records. While mining on the Keweenaw Peninsula began at least 8,000 years ago, improved excavating technology and increased demand for copper wire in the 1800s drove thousands to northern Michigan to work in the mines. Improved access to mining records will make historic data from the late 1800s and early 1900s accessible to the public. The grantee will provide $118,898 in matching funds.
For more information about NPS historic preservation programs and grants, please visit nps.gov/stlpg.
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 430+ national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
FY2023 Funded Save America's Treasures Grant Projects
These FY2023 projects were announced August 20, 2024.
| State | Grant Recipient & Amount | Project Title | Project Description | Type |
|---|
State | Grant Recipient & Amount | Project Title | Project Description | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | California Missions Foundation – $750,000 | Repair of Historic Fountains and Buildings at the Casa del Herrero Project – Santa Barbara | The Casa del Herrero National Historic Landmark, a historic treasure in the classic Spanish Revival Architecture style, was once the private estate of industrialist and philanthropist George Fox Steedman. Designed and built by leading Spanish revival architect George Washington Smith in 1925, this estate consists of multiple buildings, Spanish tile fountains, and a rich European garden landscape. Visible cracking in the exterior walls and water damage pose serious threats to the integrity of the Casa buildings. This grant project will mitigate water damage and protect the walls of these buildings. In addition, it will bring all 10 exterior fountains back to working condition for public use and appreciation by tourists, students, artists, historians, and employees alike. The grantee will provide $805,816 in matching funds. | Preservation |
| Colorado | Telluride Council for the Arts and Humanities – $750,000 | Transfer Warehouse Masonry Stabilization – Telluride | Standing at roughly 177 years old, the Transfer Warehouse is a cherished landmark in the center of Telluride and is a significant contributing structure to the National Historic Landmark District in Telluride Colorado. This building became the centerpiece of the Telluride Transfer Company's complex. Telluride Council of the Arts and Humanities began a multi-phase project in 2017 to restore this roofless and deteriorating building and revitalize it into a thriving community venue. The SAT grant will fund masonry stabilization to preserve the existing historic materials of the building so that the final phase can be conducted, and the building can be fully functional as a community arts center. The grantee will provide $750,000 in matching funds. | Preservation |
| Florida | Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Trust, Inc. - $750,000 | Conservation of the Swimming Pool Grotto and Its Ceiling Mural by Robert Winthrop Chanler – Miami | The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens will restore and conserve the swimming pool grotto associated with the Gilded Age historic home on its premises. The museum is a National Historic Landmark, and the pool grotto was once a focal point for entertaining on the estate, indicative of the historic, cultural, and artistic ideals of the time. Project activities will include repairing and stabilizing the supporting structures, reattachment of a pendentive panel, and the full conservation treatment of the Chanler mural. The project's primary outcome will be the protection and conservation of one of the most important works of art at Vizcaya, which is critical to the authentic preservation of the estate and subsequent interpretation. The grantee will provide $750,000 in matching funds. | Preservation |
| Illinois | Foundation for Homan Square - $362,750 | Preservation of the National Historic Landmark Sears Catalog Complex – Chicago | Built in 1906, the Sears Roebuck & Co industrial complex was once the largest commercial facility in the United States with over 3 million square feet of space. The complex was home to the original Sears Tower before it was relocated to downtown Chicago in the 1970s and later placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Currently, the Tower serves as a community hub, but without imminent repair, the Tower will become structurally unsound. Funding for this project will enable extensive restoration of the Tower’s façade and repair the interior elevator. This will ensure the Tower thrives as an important economic and community-centered space. The grantee will provide $330,750 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State University – $220,871 | LSU Campus Mounds Preservation Project – Baton Rouge | The LSU Campus Mounds are two ancient, dome-shaped mounds on the grounds of what is today Louisiana State University. Native Americans began constructing the mounds at least 6,000 years ago during the earliest phase of mound building in North America. In 1999, the site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as nationally significant, based on age, preservation, rarity, and research potential. The mounds are still significant as a gathering place for people and remain sacred to Tribes to this day. Funds from this grant will stop ongoing erosion, repair existing damage, and add denser drought-resistant grass to stabilize the mounds’ surface. The grantee will provide $220,871 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Louisiana | Longue Vue House and Gardens Corporation – $372,250 | The Shipman Collection: Preserving the Legacy of Ellen Biddle Shipman at Longue Vue House and Gardens – New Orleans | Longue Vue House and Gardens will preserve and enhance the legacy of Ellen Biddle Shipman, a pioneering female landscape architect. Project activities will include archival stabilization, education and training, and the active restoration, conservation, and preservation of key Shipman design elements at Longue Vue House and Gardens. The project will involve engaging with consultants and forming partnerships to facilitate the research and development of the collection. Project activities will increase public awareness and appreciation of Shipman's contributions to landscape architecture, which will benefit both academic researchers and the general public. The grantee will provide $515,863 in matching funds. | Preservation |
| Maryland | Mount Vernon Place Conservancy - $750,000 | Mount Vernon Place Revitalization of North and South Park Squares – Baltimore | The four park squares of Mount Vernon Place which surround the Washington Monument were first built in 1827 and redesigned to their current state during the City Beautiful era by architectural firm Carrère & Hastings in 1917-20. The squares are considered one of the best surviving examples of the firm’s work and of City Beautiful planning. Since this redesign, no renovations or upgrades have been made. Two of these squares have particularly experienced crumbling of historic stone steps, balustrades, and paving, rendering accessibility and pedestrian safety poor. Funding from this grant will accurately repair this historic urban park for the residents of Baltimore and the tens of thousands of visitors who come to this location each year. The grantee will provide $10,891,472 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Massachusetts | Captain Robert Bennet Forbes House Museum – $673,520 | Stabilization of 1833 Carriage House and c. 1880 Stable at Forbes House Museum – Milton | The Captain Robert Bennet Forbes House Museum, a National Historic Landmark atop Milton Hill, preserves and interprets the Greek Revival-style mansion built by Isaiah Rogers in 1833 for Mrs. Margaret Perkins Forbes, a member of one of the wealthiest families in Boston at that time. The focus of this project is on the 1833 carriage house and an 1880 stable by Peabody and Stearns, which need extensive repair work. Water infiltration from wind-driven rain is currently threatening the structural integrity of both buildings. SAT funding will allow major exterior repairs, upgraded electrical services, and roof patching. Preserving the carriage house and stable will create opportunities for community gatherings, event spaces, and administrative use/collection storage. The grantee will provide $674,516 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Michigan | Oakland University - $264,005 | Meadow Brook Hall Window & Stained-Glass Restoration Project – Rochester | Oakland University will carry out a project to improve the windows and therefore protect the interior of Meadow Brook Hall, a notable Tudor Revival mansion and estate commissioned by John and Matilda Dodge and later donated to the university by Alfred and Matilda Dodge Wilson. The project will repair and restore critically buckled stained glass windows, improve environmental conditions, and expand interpretation for objects that are currently stored or displayed in substandard environments. The project also includes the fabrication and installation of various UV filtering and light-blocking technologies to protect irreplaceable interior objects. Meadow Brook Hall was names an National Historic Landmark in 2012 and is the largest Tudor Revival residence in the United States, at 88,000 square feet. The grantee will provide $7264,006 in matching funds. | Preservation |
| Nebraska | The Durham Museum - $750,000 | Omaha Union Station Preservation Phase III: Roof Replacement – Omaha | Omaha Union Station is an Art Deco railway station that established Omaha, Nebraska as a major railroad center. Designated as an National Historic Landmark in 2016, Union Station stands as one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the nation, remaining largely unchanged in its structural integrity since its construction in 1899. The Durham Museum, located inside Omaha Union Station, is conducting a multi-phase preservation project. This SAT grant will support one phase of a larger preservation project, focusing on a full replacement of the roof to this historic station and ensure the continued visitation of people who seek to experience the rich regional history preserved by the museum. The grantee will provide $1,052,828 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| New Hampshire | Dover Friends Meeting – $183,084 | Repairing and Preserving Dover Friends Meetinghouse: Now and for the Future Project – Dover | Built in 1768, the Dover Friends Meetinghouse is the last 18th century meetinghouse that remains in the entire state. Townspeople came together to plan their response to oppressive British policies. Funding from this SAT grant will support a project to stabilize and reinforce the roof system. plan that releases roof truss tension and reinforces the joints. In addition, a sprinkler system will be installed to protect the building from future fire damage. Preservation of the meetinghouse ensures that future generations continue to meet there and understand the Dover Friends’ critical role in establishing the foundation for religious freedom and non-violent civil disobedience. The grantee will provide $233,017 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| New Jersey | Inlet Public/Private Association, Inc. – $750,000 | Exterior and Interior Restoration of Masonry and Metals at Absecon Lighthouse – Atlantic City | The Absecon Lighthouse is New Jersey’s tallest lighthouse and the third tallest masonry lighthouse in the United States. Representing Atlantic City’s proud heritage as not only one of the nation’s original seashore resorts, but also as a symbol of New Jersey’s and the nation’s rich maritime history, it serves as an educational venue and tourist attraction with Atlantic City. The structure is threatened by continuous deterioration and trapped moisture from lack of air circulation within the radial walls and the interior brick tower. This project will improve ventilation through exterior brick and mortar repair and restoration as well as interior metal repair and restoration. The grantee is providing $1,168,810 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| New York | St. Bartholomew's Conservancy, Inc. – $749,840 | Preservation of the Stanford White Triple Portal of St. Bartholomew's Church – New York City | The Stanford White Triple Portal is the main entrance to the St. Bartholomew’s Church on Park Avenue. The Triple Portal, boasting three sets of spectacular bas-relief cast bronze doors and carved stone iconographic sculpture by renowned artists of the early 20th century, was the defining feature for the design and construction of the new St. Bartholomew’s Church building in 1918, heralded by architect Bertram G. Goodhue as “perhaps the most beautiful thing of its kind in America.” Over time the building has experienced deterioration from pollution and age. The SAT grant will focus on the preservation of the Cipollino marble columns, iconographic sculpture, the bronze doors and the limestone steps that comprise the Stanford White Triple Portal. The grantee is providing $2,957,505 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| New York | Historic Hudson Valley – $630,300 | Preservation of Washington Irving's Sunnyside – Tarrytown | Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, a National Historical Landmark, was the estate of author Washington Irving from 1835 until his death in1859. Sunnyside, known as America’s first “literary landmark,” preserves the ideals of the Romantic movement. Irving’s Cottage, one of the buildings on the property, experiences water penetration, moisture, and temperature fluctuations, deteriorating masonry and stucco, and harmful UV light. This grant project will create a site drainage system and redirect water collection as well as repair damage to lime-based and clay materials on the building envelope. This work will ensure important access to Sunnyside and continued engagement with Irving’s life and cultural legacy for future generations. The grantee is providing $640,365 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| North Carolina | Basilica Preservation Fund, Inc. – $750,000 | Repair Tension Rings, Masonry Cornice, Wall Reconstruction in the Basilica of St. Lawrence – Asheville | The Basilica of St. Lawrence is described as Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino Sr.’s most “crowning achievement in American building arts.” Built in 1905, this Roman Catholic Church with a Spanish Renaissance style demonstrates Guastavino Sr.’s fine design and boasts one of the largest, freestanding elliptical domes in North America. The building faces serious threat, however, from water infiltration that has damaged sections of the masonry on the cornice and parapet walls. This project will address this threat by conducting probes to determine further structural deterioration, performing structural repairs, and rebuilding the brick masonry, including the parapet walls and cornice. This work ensures structure may continue to preserve its structural engineering integrity and endure as a cultural and traditional landmark of Asheville’s downtown. The grantee is providing $810,000 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Pennsylvania | Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation – $580,000 | Stationary Car Dumper Stabilization and Repair – Homestead | The Carrie Blast Furnaces, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the last sites of Pittsburgh’s iron and steel industry. Metal produced at Carrie can be found in some of the most iconic structures of the twentieth century, such as the St. Louis Arch and the Empire State Building. The Stationary Car Dumper serves as one of the primary interpretive areas within the larger Carrie site and as a vital access point for other sections of the mill. It is currently experiencing structural decay that will contribute to irreversible damage if the structure is not stabilized and repaired. Funds from this SAT grant will support large scale structural repairs so that further damage is prevented, and visitors can witness its role in our nation’s industrial heritage. The grantee is providing $580,000 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts – $750,000 | Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Historic Landmark Building HVAC Replacement Project – Philadelphia | Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is the nation’s first and oldest museum and art school. Its permanent collection is considered one of the most important collections of the American art world. This grant project will focus on replacing the HVAC system in PAFA’s 1876 National Historic Landmark Building designed by Frank Furness and George Hewitt. The building’s current system no longer provides sufficient temperature and humidity control in the galleries, art storage, and staff spaces. This effort to improve these systems will ensure the continued preservation of both the historic building and its collection for visitors and students to access and engage with. The grantee is providing $750,000 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Pennsylvania | Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust – $336,187 | Arch Street Meeting House Fire Protection Project – Philadelphia | The Arch Street Meeting House is a National Historic Landmark located in Old City Philadelphia. It is considered the most important site of Quaker history and demonstrates William Penn’s Quaker ideals for the colony of Pennsylvania. There are concerns that the building is highly susceptible to fire damage. Fires have already burned down several other historic houses of worship in the surrounding area. The beams inside the meetinghouse are dry and need to be protected along with the extensive and important collection of colonial-era artifacts and Quaker archives. The funds from this SAT grant will provide a fire suppression system to preserve and protect this building’s cultural and architectural history. The grantee is providing $336,187 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Pennsylvania | Quintessence Theater Group - $296,092 | Preserving the Façade of the Historic Sedgwick Theater – Philadelphia | The Sedgwick Theater (1928) is a contributing resource to the Colonial Germantown Historic District. It is one of the few remaining Art Deco “movie palaces” designed by local architect William Harold Lee. Although interior changes to the theater have taken place, the theatre retains some historic features. This project will support stabilization and repointing of the façade as well as window restoration. The grantee will provide $575,000 in matching funds. | Preservation |
| South Carolina | Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul – $750,000 | Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul Stabilization and Repair – Charleston | Built between 1811-1816, the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul Church is considered historically and culturally significant due to its contribution to the Charleston Old and Historic District in the heart of the city. The construction of the building is as an example of enslaved labor and how the relationship between white and black Charlestonians has evolved from enslavement through the 21st century. Presently, there is significant deterioration of the portico column capitals and the stucco attached to the beams. To repair the portico and the structure, grant funds will support the deconstruction of a portion of the structure. A combination of lighter and stronger modern and historic materials will be used to rebuild it to respond to mitigate the imminent threat of further structural damage. Existing electrical and HVAC upgrades will also be addressed during this project. The grantee is providing $1,610,026 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Texas | City of Dallas – $700,000 | Fair Park Tower Building Mural Restoration – Dallas | Fair Park is comprised of thirty structures of architectural significance built for the Texas Centennial Exposition and the World’s Fair of 1936. The Fair Park Tower building, formerly known as the “Federal Building,” contains four large interior murals inside its rotunda that were painted by prolific artist Julian Garnsey depicting the four geographic regions of the United States. These murals were later painted over during World War II. Funding from this SAT grant will support a restoration project to uncover these paintings so that visitors can witness these great artworks for the first time in over 80 years. Additionally, the ceiling will be uncovered and resorted to its original design. The grantee is providing $700,000 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Vermont | The Landmark Trust USA, Inc. – $401,274 | Climate Adaptation for Naulakha, A National Historic Landmark – Dummerston | Once the estate of renowned author Rudyard Kipling, the Naulakha complex serves as an overnight rental and educational site that preserves multiple buildings all built in the 1890s. During the property’s 1993 restoration, cedar shingle roofs were installed on the buildings to match the original material. These roofs are now in need of replacement to protect the buildings from leakage and further deterioration. This project will repair and/or replace deteriorated sheathing and copper flashing as well as address drainage issues of the entire site and create a drainage system that better handles current and future rainfall and natural runoff. Grant-assisted work will continue to protect these historic structures from water-related threats and provide an important source of economic development to the local community. The grantee is providing $401,274 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Virginia | College of William & Mary – $416,207 | William & Mary Wren Building: West Steps Restoration – Williamsburg | Built by enslaved labor and craftsmen in 1695, the Wren Building predates the city and colonial capital of Williamsburg and was the catalyst to choose the area as a replacement capital after Jamestown. One of the central features of the building is the flights of steps leading up to the main entrance, used weekly by thousands of students, faculty members, and visitors who access the building for a variety of reasons. Treatments applied during the 1928-1931 restoration and subsequent repairs have contributed to the steps’ deterioration. Funding from this grant will rebuild the steps using Portland limestone and stonemasons, historic brick masons, and other specialized craftspeople. The grantee will provide $416,207 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| West Virginia | Coalfield Development Corporation – $748,785 | Nenni Building Second Level Stabilization Project – Huntington | A cornerstone of the Matewan Historic District and part of the National Coal Heritage Area, the Nenni Building was built over 100 years ago and has served as a miners’ union headquarters, a restaurant, a department store, and the home of police chief and local hero, Sid Hatfield. Hatfield was a major figure in the West Virginia Mine Wars and the broader national struggle of miners to unionize.. The Nenni Building has fallen into disrepair over time. This grant project will stabilize the second floor through upgrades to stormwater infrastructure, exterior infrastructure, electrical wiring systems, and HVAC systems. This preservation work will help to achieve the vision of a useable living history exhibition in partnership with the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum. The grantee will provide $748,785.03 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Wisconsin | State Historical Society of Wisconsin – $729,153 | Preservation of Baggage Horse Barn at Ringling Brothers Circus Winter Headquarters – Baraboo | The winter headquarters of the Ringling Brothers Circus is a National Historical Landmark district. Nine buildings, seven of which are maintained by Circus World, represent the largest and most complete historic winter quarters in existence. The Baggage Horse Barn, built in 1904, once housed heavy draft horses, the backbone of the circus, during winter off-seasons. Today this structure experiences a critical threat from structural damage, including rotting of wood framing, corrosion of sidings, compromised joists, and foundation damage. This project will correct this damage by repairing masonry, windows, siding, and doors. These preservation efforts will ensure this building can be opened for interpretation to the public so that visitors may better explore the broader operations of the circus. The grantee is providing $729,586 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Wisconsin | Center for Veterans Issues, Inc. – $750,000 | Interior Repairs and Accessibility Improvements at the National Soldiers Home Governor’s Mansion, Building 39 – Milwaukee | Established in 1867, the Milwaukee Soldiers Home pioneered a comprehensive approach to medical and residential benefits of soldiers after the Civil War, playing a pivotal role in shaping the modern Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of the buildings in this National Historic Landmark District are vulnerable to neglect and deterioration. The Governor’s Mansion, one of the significant structures of this district, faces serious threats from moisture penetration, decaying wood trim, outdated mechanical systems, and accessibility challenges. This project will restore and repurpose the structure to be used as offices for veteran-operated businesses and provide services in housing stability, workforce development, and technological training. The grantee will provide $2,533,748 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Wisconsin | Center for Veterans Issues, Inc. – $750,000 | Roofing and System Upgrades at the National Soldiers Home Chapel, Building 12 – Milwaukee | The Chapel, a contributing building to the Milwaukee Soldiers Home National Historic Landmark District, has experienced rotting porch floors, foundation failures, bell tower structural issues, and other threats. This project will restore the chapel so that veterans can use the building as a space for non-denominational worship and as a community center. This preservation work will address roofing and exterior and interior repairs, as well as the modernizing of mechanical, electrical, plumbing systems. The grantee will provide $4,584,557 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| Wisconsin | Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Foundation – $750,000 | Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Restoration – Wauwatosa | The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church is one of only five religious buildings designed by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and stands as one of his last major works. Completed in 1961, Annunciation memorializes the rich immigrant history of the Greek people in Milwaukee during the Industrial Revolution. The building is currently experiencing moisture penetration through cracks of poured concrete of the structure and through window openings. Interior wall surfaces need extensive plaster repair as well. This project will focus on cleaning, crack repair and painting of the exterior, interior plaster repair and painting, and replacement of skylights in the lower level. These repairs will ensure congregations and visitors can continue to experience the original design as Wright had intended. The grantee will provide $756,035 of matching funds. | Preservation |
| California | Japanese American National Museum - $750,000 | Climate Systems Upgrades to Protect the Museum's Collections – Los Angeles | Japanese American National Museum will use the funds to upgrade their building’s infrastructure by purchasing and installing a new HVAC system to mitigate threats and future damage to its collection. The collection has more than 160,000 items comprising documents and ephemera, 3D material culture artifacts, photographs, fine art, books and bound volumes, moving images and recorded sound, and born-digital material. The collection documents the Japanese American experience from early immigration to the U.S., World War II, incarceration, and military service. The project will be matched with $2,075,328 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| California | ChromaDiverse, Inc. - $147,265 | Preservation and Access Improvements for the Marbeth Legacy Project: Dance Theatre of Harlem Portfolio – San Francisco | ChromaDiverse will preserve, digitize, and make available to the public Margaret Elizabeth “Marbeth” Schnare’s photographs of Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH). Project activities include inventorying, transporting, digitizing, and storing the collection, which includes 6,000 DTH photographs in print and 35mm negative formats, as well as approximately 100 documents. The project will involve the development of a curated website, along with the creation and implementation of a marketing strategy to showcase the collection to audiences online. Once preserved and made accessible, the collection will be a resource for general audiences and scholars interested in Dance Theatre of Harlem, classical ballet, African American history, and the cultural life of Harlem and New York City. The grantee will provide $147,266 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Colorado | National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum - $74,986 | Support for National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum Collections and Exhibits – Leadville | The National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum will improve the management and care of its collection of objects that document American mining history. Informed by a recent Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) report, project activities will include purchasing and installing new display cases, storage shelves, blackout window blinds, and tools for environmental monitoring of the collection space. The project will result in environmentally monitored collections spaces that will enable the museum to collect temperature and humidity levels for the first time in the museum’s history. With the addition of blackout blinds in all the collections spaces, the objects will no longer be at risk of light damage and the objects’ storage in more stable conditions will better preserve them for future generations. The project will be matched with $80,633 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| District of Columbia | National Building Museum - $177,000 | Preservation of the Northwestern Terra Cotta Collection – Washington | The National Building Museum will preserve the Northwestern Terra Cotta collection, one of the largest architectural terra cotta collections in the United States. Project activities will include photographing, cataloguing, and digitizing the drawings, along with conducting conservation assessments and rehousing at-risk items. The project will involve hiring new staff, engaging with consultants, and forming partnerships to manage the preservation and accessibility of the collection. Project activities will improve preservation, accessibility, and knowledge of the collection, benefiting researchers, educators, and the general public. The grantee will provide $177,642 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Illinois | Chicago Historical Society - $454,607 | Early Presidential Costume Conservation – Chicago | The Chicago Historical Society will use the funds for conservation treatment on the costume collection. The costume collection holds 50,000 historically significant items dating from the 17th century to the present with recent creations by designers Charles James, Paul Poiret, House of Worth, Chanel, House of Dior, Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent. The funds will be used for conservation treatment on nine costumes. The collection contains garments worn by three presidents, George Washington, John Adams, and Abraham Lincoln, which will go on display for the 250th anniversary signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The project will be matched with $482,170 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| Illinois | The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois - $122,914 | Chicago in the Year 2000: Preserving the Voices and Sounds of Chicago through Digitization – Chicago | The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) University Library will use the funds to digitize, preserve, and make accessible 781 audio and video recordings from the Chicago in the Year 2000 (CITY2000) collection. CITY2000 documented Chicago and its inhabitants and neighborhoods during the year 2000, creating a unique window into the diverse cultures through photographs, interviews, and soundscapes. The recordings are significant for their potential for cultural engagement and education, and the unstable nature of Digital Audio Tape and magnetic tape makes them high risk for deterioration. Digitized files will be ingested into the library’s digital asset management system, where they will be enhanced with metadata as well as audio transcripts for accessibility. The project will be matched with $127,974 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| Illinois | Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society - $613,298 | Climate Control, Fire Suppression, and Electrical Upgrades for the Galena & Ulysses S. Grant Museum's Collection – Galena | The Galena & Ulysses S. Grant Museum will address threats to its diverse collection of natural history, Ulysses S. Grant, and Native American artifacts. Over 15,000 objects reflect major themes in the development of America’s heartland and include both organic and inorganic items with particular environmental sensitivities. Following a recent assessment of its current building with inadequate storage, the institution will construct a new facility adjacent to the U.S. Grant Home State Historic Site and install climate control, fire suppression, and electrical infrastructure. The project will be matched with $613,297 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| Massachusetts | Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust - $232,658 | Saving the National Historic Landmark Flying Horses Carousel through Repairs to and Conservation of Carousel Animals, Mechanical Systems, and Scenic Panels – Edgartown | Martha’s Vineyard Preservation Trust will undertake restoration of the Flying Horses Carousel, a National Historic Landmark and the oldest platform carousel in the United States. Project activities will include the repair and restoration of 16 of the carousel’s 20 horses, restoration and replacement of the carousel’s mechanical components, and restoration of its four scenic panels. The project will engage a structural engineer, restoration contractors, and a painting restoration specialist to protect and preserve the carousel while maintaining its historical significance. As a result of the project, the carousel will be more structurally stable and available for use by visitors. The grantee will provide $248,255 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Massachusetts | Worcester County Mechanics Association (d/b/a Mechanics Hall) - $22,901 | Portraits Restoration Project – Worcester | Worcester County Mechanics Association will undertake a project to clean and conserve a series of portraits housed in historic Mechanics Hall. The 21 portraits to be conserved represent leaders that had a significant impact on early Central Massachusetts and United States history, and includes social reformers, politicians, and military figures such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Clara Barton. The project will enlist a fine art handler and a conservation consultant to remove the portraits for documentation, cleaning, repair, and re-installation. Once complete, the artworks will be better protected from further degradation and have improved aesthetic appearance, improving the viewing experience of hall visitors. The grantee will provide $22,900 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Maryland | The B&O Railroad Museum - $363,750 | Saving the American Freedom Train No. 1 at the B&O Railroad Museum – Baltimore | The B&O Railroad Museum will restore American Freedom Train No. 1 (AFT1), the locomotive that pulled the Freedom Train around the country from 1975 to 1976 to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. The museum’s restoration and curatorial teams will partner with a consulting firm that specializes in railroad and locomotive project planning and repair, to undertake asbestos abatement and restoration of the AFT1. Museum staff will prepare a new covered platform to better protect and preserve the AFT1 and install interpretative panels to communicate the history and significance of the locomotive to the public. Once complete, the museum will feature the AFT1 in upcoming events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The grantee will provide $366,010 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Maryland | Historic St. Mary’s City Commission - $228,659 | Historic St. Mary’s City’s Conservation Assessment of Artifacts Uncovered During Archeological Investigations – St. Mary’s City | Historic St. Mary’s City Commission will use the funds to assess its archaeological collections which include artifacts from the seventeenth century through postcolonial times. The collections are used to teach new generations of scholars about the material culture of the early Atlantic World and the impact that European settlers and the local Native American tribes had upon one another. The collections will be analyzed through a condition assessment to help triage future conservation work, and artifact data will be input into a relational database as well as rehoused. The project will be matched with $295,926 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| Michigan | Michigan Technological University - $118,898 | Preservation, Indexing, and Enhanced Utility of Historic Copper Mining Drill Hole Records, Michigan Technological University Archives – Houghton | The Michigan Technological University Archives will undertake a data management project to preserve historic mining records. The university archives preserve paper-based drilling data and geological core descriptions of the Keweenaw copper mining district for an estimated 600,000 feet of core from over 650 holes drilled from 1899 to 1970. The project will match descriptive records with existing cores, enhancing their historical value and scientific usefulness. The project will work with a long-time partner, geologic professionals, university staff, and paid graduate and undergraduate students to identify, scan, and preserve the archived records. The project will result in the increased accessibility of digital images online for a public audience, enhanced utility of data, and the preservation of primary source materials. The grantee will provide $11,898 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Michigan | Cleary University - $319,880 | Arthur Secunda Collection Conservation and Accessibility Project at Cleary University – Howell | Cleary University will preserve and enhance a collection of over 800 pieces by American artist Arthur Secunda. Project activities will include cataloging, digitizing, restoring, and framing artworks, and creating an archival environment for their protection and accessibility. The project will involve hiring a curator, engaging with consultants, and establishing partnerships with local museums and academic institutions to facilitate the restoration and conservation efforts. The impact of the project will be the safeguarding of the Secunda Collection's legacy, ensuring its status as a vibrant and invaluable cultural and educational asset for Cleary University and the broader community. The grantee will provide $329,080 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Montana | National Museum of Forest Service History - $343,670 | Preserving America’s Conservation Legacy Collection through Storage, Environmental Control, and Physical System Upgrades – Missoula | The National Museum of Forest Service History will install storage cabinetry, environmental controls, and physical security systems in its new National Conservation Legacy Center, which has a dedicated space designed to ensure preservation of the collection. The museum’s 50,000 item collection includes artifacts, letters, reports, maps, photographs, tools, instruments and published books that relate to the history of the National Forest Service. Project activities will include the installation of a new HVAC system and microclimate generators, fire detection and suppression systems, a security and video surveillance system, and a space saving collection storage system. The project will result in significantly improved storage conditions for the museum’s collections. The grantee will provide $343,670 in matching funds. | Collection |
| New Mexico | Eastern New Mexico University – $53,299 | Blackwater Draw National Historic Landmark Photos, Negatives, and Distinct Sub-Collections Digitizing Project – Portales | Eastern New Mexico University will use grant funds to update an inventory, digitize, and rehouse materials that are used to describe and interpret life at the Blackwater Draw archaeology site from Clovis times (over 13,000 years ago) through the recent historic period. The Clovis culture represents some of the oldest stone tool technology in the Americas. The collection includes artifacts, documents, and photos from the last 94 years of research at the site, and this project would preserve approximately 2,790 artifacts, 870 photograph negatives, and 1,356 35 mm negative film strips for use by researchers. The project will be matched with $93,503.86 in non-federal share. The grantee will provide $93,503 in matching funds. | Collection |
| New York | Greater Hudson Heritage Network - $269,038 | Conservation of At-Risk Collections from Ten Museums in New York State – Elmsford | The Greater Hudson Heritage Network will use funds to conserve objects from 10 small and mid-size museums in New York State. The objects include 35 items of historical significance and a wide range of materials, which, after a preliminary assessment, were selected as those items most in need of treatment. A panel of conservators will work on the objects over the course of 8-10 months and will also participate in a Community Engagement Conservation Workshop at each museum for staff and visitors to highlight unique challenges and new discoveries during the process of conserving these unique stories from New York State. The project will be matched with $269,359 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| New York | American Jewish Historical Society – $165,288 | “[T]o secure justice and fair treatment to all”: Preserving and Providing Access to the Records of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)'s Civil Rights Information Center and Center on Extremism – New York | The American Jewish Historical Society will use the funds to process records of the Anti-Defamation League’s Civil Rights Information Center and its Center on Extremism, which includes documents that illuminate ADL’s initiatives to expose and mitigate antisemitism, racism, and other forms of hate. The subseries of the collection is about 100 linear feet and includes correspondence, records of court cases and legislation, periodicals, reports, and research files. Selections will be digitized after processing and will be made available to researchers both on-site and online. The project will be matched with $181,998 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| New York | NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission - $88,670 | Digitization of Archaeological Data from New York City's Stadt Huys Block and 7 Hanover Square Projects – New York | The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission will use the funds to make a portion of their archaeological collections accessible to the public through processing documents and photographing artifacts. The collections include two significant archaeological excavations in Lower Manhattan excavated in the late 1970s and early 1980s: the Stadt Huys Block Site, the first major urban excavation in New York City, and 7 Hanover Square, associated with highly significant 17th century households. There are 20,595 documents that will be processed, digitized, and data made available through the LPC’s online archaeological repository, and 8,400 artifacts that will be photographed; two digital exhibits will also be created to showcase the data for public and researcher access. The project will be matched with $96,312 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| New York | The Paley Center for Media - $750,000 | The Paley Archive Project to Increase Digitization of the African American Collection – New York | The Paley Center for Media will use the funds to digitize and catalog approximately 2,500 items within their African American Collection. The collection holds rare and at-risk television media and historic programs featuring figures such as Nat King Cole, Bayard Rustin, Bernard Shaw, Toni Morrison, from Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, and Oprah Winfrey. The Paley Center for Media will work with multiple vendors to digitize the collection. Once digitized, these materials will be used by the Paley education staff for its K-12 media education program and for the museum's public exhibits. The project will be matched with $750,000 in non-federal share. | Collection |
| New York | Livingston County Historical Society - $150,000 | Livingston County Historical Society: Storage Equipment to Preserve Collections – Geneseo | The Livingston County Historical Museum will improve the storage of approximately 30,000 artifacts relating to Indigenous people and habitants of the post-colonial Finger Lakes Region. Project activities will include purchasing and installing new collections storage and environmental controls, security, and fire prevention measures. Building upon a detailed assessment of storage needs conducted by an interdisciplinary team, project staff will engage experts to ensure that the equipment will properly store collections and mitigate further damage. The rehoused material will facilitate the creation of future exhibits and allow staff to rotate and rest objects from the collection. The grantee will provide $150,000 in matching funds. | Collection |
| New York | Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences - $303,408 | Conservation of Staten Island Museum Founders’ Papers – Staten Island | The Staten Island Museum will inventory and rehouse approximately 185 linear feet of archival material in preparation to move the collections into a new climate-controlled storage space. The collections include the papers of renowned scientists including Nathaniel Lord Britton, John J. Crooke, and Mathilde Weingartner. The archives also include archaeological descriptions of Lenape sites on Staten Island. This project will support the purchase of archival supplies, as well as a part-time project archivist and museum fellow, who will carry-out the collection inventory and rehousing activities. Additionally, the museum will work with a contractor to conserve and digitize 11 journals of William T. Davis, a prominent naturalist, entomologist, and historian. The project will result in improved preservation of the collection, enhanced intellectual control, and the creation of new finding aids that will increase accessibility of the collection for staff and researchers. The grantee will provide $303,408 in matching funds. | Collection |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation - $89,428 | Digitization of Critical Videotape Collections Covering Aspects of the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing – Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation will use the funds to digitize 2,000 videotapes from the Wayne Wicks, Sr. Collection, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office Collection, and the KWTV Collection. These archival collections document the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building, the largest domestic terrorist attack on U.S. soil. The collection is at risk due to deterioration and their obsolescent formats including VHS, BetacamSP, U-Matic tapes. Digitization will mitigate risks and prolong the useful life of collections by migrating to current formats. The project will be matched with $89,427 in non-federal share. | Collection |
Last updated: August 21, 2024