$370,000+ in Legacy Small Grants Support History Projects Across Minnesota

The Minnesota Historical Society is pleased to announce 42 recipients of Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants ($10,000 and less), totaling $372,793 in 26 counties.

Small grants are awarded quarterly to help nonprofits, educational organizations, government units and tribal organizations preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on June 6, 2019.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund 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.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients

Recipients of small grants ($10,000 and less) from the April 2019 small grants cycle are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and awarded according to program guidelines and criteria, as well as professional standards.

Arcola Mills Historic Foundation, Stillwater, $10,000

Arcola Mills Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of Arcola Mills, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Afton, $10,000

Local Designation of Historic Sites: To hire a qualified archaeologist to complete local historic designations for three sites in Afton.

City of Appleton, $10,000

Orientation Map for Minnesota River Valley National Scenic Byway: To hire a qualified historian to research and assemble materials in preparation for a heritage tourism map.

City of Coleraine, $7,630

Coleraine City Hall Construction Documents: To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for potential reuse of the 1910 Coleraine City Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Dayton, $6,462

Dayton Town Hall National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation of Dayton Town Hall to determine its eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Faribault, $10,000

Columbia Hall Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of Columbia Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Hopkins, $10,000

Design ADA-Compliant Restroom and Entrance Ramp: To hire a qualified architect to complete Americans with Disabilities Act drawings for the Albert Pike Lodge, which houses the Hopkins History Center.

City of Lake City, $9,000

Mounds Park National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to evaluate Mounds Park to determine its eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Maynard, $10,000

Maynard State Bank Condition Assessment with ADA Study: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Maynard State Bank, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Northfield (Northfield Hospital and Clinics), $8,500

Design and Print Publications on the History of the Northfield Hospital: To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on the history of the Northfield Hospital.

City of Rochester, $10,000

Plummer House Water Tower Construction Documents: To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Henry S. Plummer House water tower, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Stillwater, $9,950

Stillwater Heritage Preservation Commission Enabling Ordinance Amendments: To hire a qualified consultant to tie established design guidelines to the standards set forth in Stillwater's city code.

Clarissa Community Museum Inc., Clarissa, $9,995

Upgrade Museum Lighting System: To hire qualified technicians to upgrade Clarissa Community Museum's lighting system.

Cook County Historical Society, Grand Marais, $7,662

General Preservation Needs Assessment and Long-Range Conservation Plan: To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long-range collections preservation plan.

Dakota County Library, Burnsville, $9,879

Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Farmers for Dawson, Dawson, $3,500

Commercial Bank Building Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Commercial Bank building in Dawson, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

First Congregational Church of Winona, Winona, $10,000

Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the First Congregational Church of Winona, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, St. Paul, $9,550

Spirit of the Rondo Athlete Manuscript: To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of athletes in the Rondo community from 1940 to 1970.

Harmony Area Historical Society, Harmony, $3,000

McMichel Grain Elevator National Register Evaluation: To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the 1879 McMichel Grain Elevator in Harmony for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic Saint Paul, St. Paul, $7,075

St. Paul Neighborhood Video Project Script and Storyboard Writing: To research and develop scripts and storyboards for neighborhood history tours.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $10,000

Storage Rehousing for Minnesota Art: To provide appropriate storage materials for the museum's Minnesota art collection.

Jordan Area Historical Society, Jordan, $9,990

Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer/scanner to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

Le Sueur County Historical Society, Le Center, $10,000

Accessibility Assessment of Elysian Site: To hire qualified consultants to conduct an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) assessment at the Elysian School, which is used as a museum by the Le Sueur County Historical Society.

Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, Minneapolis, $5,260

General Conservation Assessment and Long-Range Preservation Plan: To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long-range collections preservation plan.

Minnesota Genealogical Society, Mendota Heights, $10,000

Cataloging Donated Books: To provide better organization of the library collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Minnesota Malayalee Association, Shoreview, $6,440

Oral History of Minnesota Malayalees: To document in 25 oral history interviews the history of Malayalee immigrants to Minnesota.

Murray County, Slayton, $10,000

Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Turntable Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Turntable, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

North Hennepin Pioneer Society, Hanover, $10,000

District #107 (Burschville) School Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the District #107 (Burschville) School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Northfield Historical Society, Northfield, $10,000

Fire and Security System Upgrade: To hire qualified technicians to upgrade Northfield Historical Society's fire and security system.

Otter Tail County Historical Society, Fergus Falls, $10,000

Fergus Falls Historic Research Manuscripts: To hire a qualified professional to produce manuscripts on the history of Fergus Falls.

Polish Cultural Institute, Winona, $9,980

Historical Research on Polish and Kashubian Heritage in Winona: To hire a qualified historian to research the history of Polish and Kashubian immigrants in Winona.

Prospect House Museum, Battle Lake, $9,733

Collections Management Policy Development and Collections Survey: To hire a qualified consultant to prepare a collections-management policies and procedures document and train staff to conduct a collections survey.

Reclaim Community, Jasper, $10,000

Bauman Hall Condition Assessment and Stabilization Plan: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment and stabilization plan for Bauman Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Weisman Art Museum), Minneapolis, $9,505

Weisman Art Museum Oral History on the Legacy of Director Lyndel King: To document in seven oral history interviews the history of Dr. Lyndel King's tenure at the Weisman Art Museum.

Rondo Center of Diverse Expression, St. Paul, $8,350

The Women of Rondo, Research & Writing: To hire qualified consultants to research the history of women in the Rondo neighborhood in preparation for a future exhibit.

San Francisco Township, $5,000

San Francisco Township Hall National Register Evaluation: To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the San Francisco Township for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Seward Redesign Inc., Minneapolis, $10,000

The People's Real Estate: Seward Redesign Inc. at 50: To hire a qualified historian to conduct research in preparation for celebrating Seward Redesign's 50th anniversary.

St. Michael Historical Society, St. Michael, $10,000

St. Michael Pioneer Cemetery Identification: To hire qualified archaeologists to conduct a geophysical survey of the area thought to be the site of the St. Michael Church and Cemetery.

Staples Historical Society, Staples, $10,000

Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Staples Depot (Northern Pacific Railway Depot and Freighthouse), listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

State Street Theater Company, New Ulm, $10,000

New Ulm High School (1915/1939) Historic Structure Report: To hire a qualified consultant to develop a historic structure report to help preserve the historic New Ulm High School, now State Street Theater, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Stearns History Museum, St. Cloud, $9,505

Stearns County Women in Sports Research: To hire a qualified historian to research the history of women's sports and Title IX Education Amendments in Stearns County.

Wheels Across the Prairie Museum, Tracy, $6,827

General Conservation Assessment & Long-Range Preservation Plan: To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long-range collections preservation plan.

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 (“Legacy”) Grants: $4,500,000 for FY2018 and $6,500,000 for FY2019.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadline is Oct. 11, 2019. 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 http://www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

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 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.