National Park Service awards $7.27M in grants to support historic preservation projects in rural communities

News Release Date: May 25, 2022

Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov

WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) today announced $7.275 million in Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants to 11 recipients in 10 states to support economic development through the preservation of historic buildings in rural communities across the country.

“The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants program fosters economic development in rural communities through the rehabilitation of historic buildings,” said NPS Director Chuck Sams. “With these funds, our state, Tribal, local government, and non-profit partners can develop subgrant programs and select individual projects that will support the economic development goals and needs in their communities.”

This year’s grants will support historic preservation work in the City of Attica, Indiana, where Indiana Landmarks will help rehabilitate commercial buildings in the 3,200-person town. In Idaho, the Idaho Heritage Trust will use its grant to support the rehabilitation of historic theaters in rural communities across the state. Rural downtowns in northern New York will benefit from subgrants offered through Adirondack Architectural Heritage, Inc.

These grants mark the fourth year of funding for the program honoring the late Paul Bruhn, executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont for nearly 40 years. State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, Certified Local Governments, and nonprofits were eligible to apply for funding to create a subgrant program to fund multiple preservation projects in their rural jurisdictions.

Congress appropriates funding for the program through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The HPF, authorized through 2023, uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, providing assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars.

Learn more about the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants program on NPS.gov. To confirm rural eligibility, visit the US Census website. Congress appropriated $10 million for FY22 funding and applications for the next round of grants are planned to be available in the fall of 2022. 

Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant Recipients 

State	Program	Grantee	Award
Alabama	Alabama Black Belt Historic Revitalization Grant Program	Opportunity Alabama, Inc.	$750,000
Colorado	Historic Downtowns in Rural Colorado Subgrant Program	Colorado Preservation, Inc	$750,000
Idaho	Idaho's Historic Theater Revitalization Grant Program	Idaho Heritage Trust, Inc.	$750,000
Indiana	Attica Revitalization Subgrant Program	Indiana Landmarks	$650,000
Indiana	Preservation and Community Enhancement Program	City of Madison	$325,000
Kentucky	Dawson Springs Downtown Historic District Revitalization Project	City of Dawson Springs	$750,000
Minnesota	Minnesota Main Streets Looking Up Downtown Program	Preservation Alliance of Minnesota	$700,000
Missouri	Sedalia Commercial Historic District Subgrant Program	City of Sedalia	$750,000
Nebraska	Nebraska Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program	History Nebraska	$350,000
New York	Adirondack Rural Revitalization Program	Adirondack Architectural Heritage	$750,000
Vermont	Bruhn Village Revitalization Subgrant Program	Preservation Trust of Vermont	$750,000

 

www.nps.gov 

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 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.