$4.8 Million in Historical and Cultural Heritage Large Grants Awarded to Organizations Statewide

The Minnesota Historical Society is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 42 historical and cultural heritage large grants ($10,001 and up) in 27 counties, totaling $4,849,057 in FY2019. 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.

“Every year we see so many exciting projects to preserve Minnesota history for future generations to experience, learn and enjoy, and this year is no exception," said Carolyn Veeser-Egbide, grants manager for the Minnesota Historical Society.

Grant applications were recommended for funding by the Historic Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC), a volunteer panel made up of citizens from around the state. The MNHS Executive Council approved the recommendations on October 25, 2018.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant Large Grant Recipients

American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, $200,000

Turnblad Mansion Master Plan - Construction Documents for Restoration and Repair Activities: To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Turnblad Mansion, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and used as the headquarters for the American Swedish Institute.

Brown County, $167,969

West Attic Level Masonry, Terracotta and Window Restoration: To hire qualified professionals to repair masonry, terracotta and windows on the New Ulm Post Office, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and headquarters of the Brown County Historical Society.

Children’s Dental Services, Minneapolis, $25,000

Providing 100 Years of Dental Care to Vulnerable Minnesotans: To hire a qualified historian to research the history of Children's Dental Services in preparation for its 100th anniversary.

City of Granite Falls, $17,500

Andrew J. Volstead House Conditions Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Andrew J. Volstead House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Minneapolis (Community Planning & Economic Development), $49,000

Minneapolis Modern-Era Context Study: To hire a qualified consultant to write a context study for modern-era structures in Minneapolis.

City of Shakopee, $336,406

Stormwater Diversion Project to Protect Historic Sites along Highway 101: To hire qualified historians and contractors to update the National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Shakopee Historic District and provide stormwater diversion from the historic sites.

City of Saint Paul (Board of Water Commissioners), $250,000

Highland Park Tower Repairs: To hire qualified professionals to repair the Highland Park Tower, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Walters, $20,000

Save the Walters Jail, Architectural Drawings: To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for reuse of the Walters Jail, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Winona, $316,993

Winona Masonic Temple Exterior Restoration: To hire qualified professionals to repair the exterior of the Winona Masonic Temple, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Clearwater County Historical Society, Bagley, $28,775

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

Crow Wing Historical Society, Brainerd, $47,649

Rehousing Collection Storage: To improve collections care and management through proper storage.

Dakota City Heritage Village, Farmington, $19,800

Replacement of Existing Archive & Artifact Room HVAC Mechanical System: To hire qualified technicians to upgrade Dakota City Heritage Village's heating, ventilating and air conditioning system.

Dakota County, $50,000

Mississippi River Trail - Pine Bend Bluffs Interpretive Node: To hire qualified consultants to develop and install interpretive signage on the Mississippi River Trail in Dakota County.

Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center Authority, Duluth, $504,000

Restoration of the William A. Irvin Ship Museum: To hire qualified professionals to repair the William A. Irvin bulk freighter, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and operated as a museum.

First Congregational Church of Minnesota - United Church of Christ, Minneapolis, $53,200

Church Interior Assessment and Design: To hire a qualified architect to develop architectural drawings for the First Congregational Church of Minnesota, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Grant County, $120,000

Grant County Courthouse Decorative Elements and Historical Woodworking Conservation and Preservation, Phase 2: To conserve, stabilize and restore historic decorative elements in the Grant County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, $72,000

Newspaper Photograph Collection - Preservation and Access: To hire qualified professionals to assess a large newspaper photograph collection.

Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, $91,171

Archival Collection Arrangement and Description: To provide better organization of archival materials, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Islamic Center of Winona, Winona, $56,500

Architectural Drawings: To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for the Second National Bank, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and now headquarters for the Islamic Center of Winona.

Lake County Historical Society, Two Harbors, $75,270

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

Lyon County Historical Society, Marshall, $265,585

Making Lyon County Home - Exhibit Fabrication and Installation: To hire qualified consultants to develop and install an exhibit about Lyon County.

Melrose Area Historical Society, Melrose, $38,510

Museum Lighting Phase 2: To hire qualified technicians to upgrade Melrose Area Historical Society's lighting system.

Minnesota Archaeological Society, St. Paul, $68,400

Minnesota Archaeology and Critical Thinking, a Documentary: To hire qualified professionals to produce a documentary on the history of Minnesota's archaeological past.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Division of Fish and Wildlife), Roosevelt, $55,000

Norris Camp Historic Structure Report: To hire a qualified consultant to develop a historic structure report that will help preserve Norris Camp, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Minnesota Special Education Leaders Foundation, Lake Elmo, $33,320

Write the History of Educating, Not Educating, Minnesota's Children with Disabilities 1960–2018 and Beyond: To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of educating children with disabilities in Minnesota.

Morrison County Historical Society, Little Falls, $86,800

Increasing Collections Storage Capacity: To provide better storage conditions, allowing for greater public access to objects in the collection.

Murray County Historical Society, Slayton, $27,621

Dinehart Holt House Architectural Drawings: To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for the Dinehart Holt House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps, Duluth, $197,800

Rehabilitate Two Halfway Ranger Station Historic District Dwellings: To hire qualified professionals to rehabilitate the Ranger Dwelling and the Lake States Forest Experimental Station Dwelling, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Halfway Ranger Station Historic District.

Pope County Historical Society, Glenwood, $37,250

Comprehensive Interpretive Plan: To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for Pope County Historical Society.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $16,500

Update Historic Structure Report for Gibbs Farm: To hire a qualified consultant to develop an updated historic structure report that will help preserve the Heman Gibbs Farmstead, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $40,000

Celebrating Suffrage: The 19th Amendment at 100, Phase 1 Planning: To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit plan for an upcoming exhibit on the 19th Amendment.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Humphrey School of Public Affairs), Minneapolis, $135,122

The Smart Politics Minnesota Historical Election Data Archive: To develop an online database to hold the history of general and primary state and federal election results in Minnesota.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Bell Museum of Natural History), Minneapolis, $84,950

A Book on the History of the Bell Museum: To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of the Bell Museum.

Rice County Historical Society, Faribault, $115,936

Collection Preservation, Access and Storage Project: To improve collections care and management through proper storage.

Sacred Heart Area Historical Society, Sacred Heart, $199,150

Hotel Sacred Heart Phase 1 Construction: To hire qualified professionals for exterior repair of the Hotel Sacred Heart, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, $175,599

Legacy of the Pedersen Site, Documenting the 1974 Pedersen Site Excavation: To provide better organization of archaeological collections, allowing for greater public access to historic resources.

Sibley County Historical Society, Henderson, $94,953

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

Sinclair Lewis Foundation, Sauk Centre, $63,000

Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Carriage House Predevelopment: To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for reuse of the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Carriage House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church (Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota), Moorhead, $134,520

Saving Cass Gilbert's St. John the Divine Church, Roof Replacement: To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Red Wing, $107,500

Balcony Restoration of Historic Water Tower: To hire qualified professionals to restore the balcony on the Anderson Center water tower, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Waseca County Historical Society, Waseca, $163,700

Restoration of Hofmann Apiaries Honey House and Wax Shed, Phase 1: To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof and restore the honey house and wax shed at the Hofmann Apiaries, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $11 million for the 2018-2019 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants: $4.5 million in FY18 and $6.5 million in FY19.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly and large grants are awarded once in each fiscal year of the biennium. 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.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history. Visit us at mnhs.org.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.