Over $3.2 Million in Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Awarded Statewide

ST. PAUL–The Minnesota Historical Society announces the newest recipients of 33 historical and cultural heritage large grants ($10,001 and up) in 20 counties, totaling $3.245 million. The grants, awarded once each fiscal year, are made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

Grant applications were recommended by the Historic Resources Advisory Committee, a volunteer panel made up of citizens from around the state, as specified by legislation. The MNHS Executive Committee approved the recommendations at their Dec. 10 meeting.

“The Grants Office received a record $14.2 million in requests for this large grants round,” said Carolyn Veeser-Egbide, MNHS grants manager. “Each proposal was reviewed to ensure that the project meets established criteria and will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. Recipients use the power of history to transform lives and communities, while building a legacy for Minnesota.”

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant Large Grant Recipients

Brown County (New Ulm), Brown County, $286,864

New Ulm Post Office, Slate Roof Replacement: To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on the New Ulm Post Office, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and now home to Brown County Historical Society.

Carver County (Waconia), Carver County Historical Society, $182,223

Andrew Peterson Farmstead, North Barn Restoration: To hire qualified professionals to complete exterior restoration of the Andrew Peterson North Barn, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Cass County (Walker), Cass County Historical Society, $31,247

Museum Lighting Replacement: To hire qualified technicians to upgrade Cass County Historical Society's lighting system.

Clearwater County (Bagley), Clearwater County Historical Society, $17,625

Exhibit Lighting: To hire qualified technicians to upgrade Clearwater County Historical Society's lighting system.

Dakota County (Apple Valley), Dakota County, $80,000

Cultural Resources Interpretive Plan, Minnesota River Greenway: To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for the Minnesota River Greenway.

Dakota County (South St. Paul), St. Stefan Romanian Orthodox Church, $28,290

St. Stefan Romanian Orthodox Church, Pre-Development Architectural Services: To hire a qualified consultant to conduct an architectural study of St. Stefan Romanian Orthodox Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Freeborn County (Albert Lea), Freeborn County Historical Society, $71,513

Collection Storage Upgrade: To provide better storage conditions, allowing for greater public access to objects in the collection.

Goodhue County (Red Wing) City of Red Wing, $258,600

G.A. Carlson Lime Kiln Preservation: To hire qualified professionals to preserve the G.A. Carlson Lime Kiln, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Goodhue County (Welch), Prairie Island Indian Community (PIIC), $78,330

Burial Mound Sites on Prairie Island Indian Community Lands: Implementing New Strategies for Preservation: To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey of burial mound sites on Prairie Island Indian Community land.

Hennepin County (Eden Prairie), City of Eden Prairie, $14,000

Riley-Jacques Farmstead Interpretive Signage, Phase 1: To hire qualified consultants to research and develop interpretive signage on the Riley-Jacques Farmstead in Hennepin County.

Hennepin County (Minneapolis), First Congregational Church of Minnesota-United Church of Christ, $387,400

First Congregational Church Exterior Rehabilitation: To hire qualified professionals to repair the exterior of the First Congregational Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hennepin County (Minneapolis) Friends of Christ Church Lutheran, $200,000

Christ Church Lutheran, Roofing Restoration: To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on Christ Church Lutheran, a National Historic Landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hennepin County (Minneapolis), Minneapolis Institute of Arts, $48,029

William Gray Purcell (Purcell-Cutts) House: Art-Glass Windows Preservation: To hire a qualified conservator to restore significant objects in the museum’s collection.

Hennepin County (St. Paul), Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation, $54,650

Minnesota Air National Guard Historical Foundation Collections Inventory: To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Hennepin County (Minneapolis), Regents of the University of Minnesota (U of M Libraries), $105,419

Preservation of Minnesota's Radio History, An Audio Digital Conversion and Access Project: To digitize a collection of archival audio recordings, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Hubbard County (Park Rapids), Hubbard County (Board of Commissioners), $12,500

Hubbard County Courthouse, Conditions and Structural Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a conditions assessment of the Hubbard County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Itasca County (Bigfork), City of Bigfork, $259,883

Bigfork Village Hall Rehabilitation, Phase 1: To hire qualified professionals to begin repairing the Bigfork Village Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Kandiyohi County (Willmar), Kandiyohi County Historical Society, $56,007

3D Collection Inventory: To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Nicollet County (St. Peter), Nicollet County Historical Society, $24,150

Collections Evaluation and Inventory System Consolidation: To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Ramsey County (St. Paul), Aurora-St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation, $46,300

St. Paul African American Cultural Context Study: To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a context study of the Aurora-St. Anthony Neighborhood.

Ramsey County (St. Paul), Hamline University, $56,261

The Red Rock Ridge Survey, National Register Evaluations and Archaeological Survey in Southwest Minnesota: To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey of the Red Rock Ridge.

Ramsey County (St. Paul), Historic Saint Paul, $150,000

Historic Hill District Survey Project: To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a survey of the Historic Hill District.

Ramsey County (St. Paul), Northern Star Council, Boy Scouts of America, $26,150

Northern Star Council Archives Project: To hire a qualified professional to assess the archival collections held by the Northern Star Council.

Ramsey County (St. Paul), Ramsey County Historical Society, $96,840

Research Phase-Legends and Landmarks: To hire qualified consultants to research the history of significant people and places in Ramsey County in preparation for a future exhibit.

Ramsey County (St. Paul), Saint Paul Public Library, $85,035

Digitizing St. Paul City Directories: To digitize St. Paul city directories, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Renville County (Morton), Dakota Wicohan, $98,039

Mni Sota Makoce Dakota Homelands Curriculum Revision Project: To create and revise Minnesota-based educational content for Dakota language and culture curriculum.

Scott County (Plymouth), Three Rivers Park District, $207,788

Oliver Faribault House, Exterior Restoration: To hire qualified professionals to restore the exterior of the Oliver Faribault House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Louis County (Minneapolis) Regents of the University of Minnesota (Glensheen), $112,200

Glensheen Historic Cultural Landscape Report: To hire a qualified consultant to develop a cultural landscape report that will help preserve the Congdon Estate (Glensheen), listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Stearns County (Sauk Centre), Sinclair Lewis Foundation, $34,800

Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Carriage House, Historic Structure Report: To hire a qualified consultant to develop a historic structure report that will help preserve the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Carriage House, a National Historic Landmark listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Stearns County (St. Cloud), Stearns History Museum, $36,500

Stearns History Museum Interpretive Plan: To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for Stearns History Museum.

Steele County (Owatonna), Steele County Historical Society, $18,796

Long Range Exhibit Planning, Phase I: Audience Research: To hire a qualified consultant to conduct an audience analysis for Steele County Historical Society.

Swift County (Appleton) Pioneer Public Television, $49,500

Appleton City Hall, Historic Structure Report: To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve the Appleton City Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Waseca County (Waseca), Waseca County, $30,225

Waseca County War Memorial Restoration/Conservation: To hire a qualified conservator to restore a significant memorial in Waseca County.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $11.525 million for the 2016-2017 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants: $5,525,000 for FY 2016 and $6,000,000 for FY 2017.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next three small grants deadlines are Jan. 8, 2016; April 8, 2016; and July 8, 2016. Applications for large grants are awarded once in each fiscal year of the biennium. A required pre-application is due on May 27, 2016 and final application is due on July 29, 2016 for the next large grant round.

All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit legacy.mnhs.org/grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.