TOPEKA – The Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review announced that projects across the state are slated to receive nearly $230,000 in Historic Preservation Fund grants.
The grant committee reviewed 12 applications totaling $229,572 and presented their recommendations to the Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review last week.
“Historic preservation protects our history for the next generation, while also increasing tourism activity and supporting our local economies,” Governor Kelly said. “I want to thank all who applied for these grants for their commitment to sharing Kansas’ unique history, and creating economic growth opportunities for their regions.”
The following projects are recommended as proposed, pending allocation of funding by the National Park Service for federal fiscal year 2021:
- City of Lincoln – ADA Improvements Plan for City Hall – $17,500
- City of Newton – Children’s Historic Places Curriculum – $5,822
- City of Topeka – Survey of Topeka’s Old Town Neighborhood – $16,500
- Douglas County – Douglas County Rural Preservation Plan – $20,000
- Douglas County – National Register Nomination Support for Rural Properties – $30,000
- Kansas Anthropological Association – Production of the Kansas Anthropologist Volume 43 – $4,500
- Kansas National Guard – Hiawatha National Guard Armory Preservation Project – $39,000
- Kansas State University – Survey of Post-War Modernist Architecture in Manhattan KS – $21,750
- Wyandotte County/Kansas City – Nomination for a Downtown KCK Historic Commercial District – $12,500
- Wyandotte County/Kansas City – Nomination for an Historic Churches Multiple Listings Designation – $18,000
Each year the National Park Service provides the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) with funds that finance in part its operations and salaries. A portion of these funds are passed through the SHPO to Certified Local Governments (CLG) and other organizations to pay for historic preservation activities at the local level.
These pass-through grants help finance activities that will contribute to planning for the preservation of our cultural resources including the built environment and archeological resources. Up to 60 percent of the cost of eligible activities may be funded through this program.
Activities include the identification and evaluation of properties that may be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places or the Register of Historic Kansas Places through surveys.
These activities further help communities assess their historic properties and develop preservation plans and/or nominations to the Registers. Listing of properties on the Registers provides formal recognition of their historical significance and qualifies them for financial incentives such as state and federal rehabilitation tax credits and the Kansas Heritage Trust Fund grant.
More information about the Historic Preservation Fund grant program can be found online at kshs.org/14615 or by contacting the Kansas Historical Society at 785-272-8681, ext. 240; kshs.