NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Historical Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, has awarded 37 matching grants totaling over $1.1 million from the Federal Historic Preservation Fund allocated to non-profits, municipalities, universities, and civic organizations across the state to support the preservation of historic and archaeological resources.
Among the recipients are Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Paris, which will receive a grant of $16,200 to restore masonry at the historic structure. Quinn Chapel was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Also in our area, Benton County received $17,335 for archealogical digs at the Moore Family Farm in Holladay.
“Our Federal Historic Preservation Fund grant program is one of the main ways that the Tennessee Historical Commission makes meaningful contributions to the protection and study of our state’s treasured historic places,” said Patrick McIntyre, State Historic Preservation Officer and Executive Director. The Federal Historic Preservation Fund reimburses 60 percent of the project costs with a 40 percent match of project funds from the grantee.
This year’s grant awards include a wide variety of historic and architectural projects, all listed below. Several projects this year will restore character defining historic windows. From the beautiful stained-glass windows of the Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ to courthouse windows in Perry and Cannon counties, the restoration of these important features is commended and encouraged through this grant program. Other grants will assist in funding preservation planners in seven of the state’s development districts, in facilitating archaeological surveys, and helping obtain design guidelines for historic districts. Several other grants are for the rehabilitation of historic buildings, for posters highlighting the state’s archaeology, and training for historic zoning staff or commissioners.
One of the agency’s grant priorities is for projects that are in Certified Local Governments, a program that allows the 50 enrolled communities to participate closely in the federal program of historic preservation. Certified Local Government communities are highly encouraged to apply, and for his round each CLG community that applied was funded including a grant to the Metro Historical Commission in Nashville to complete a countywide historic cemetery survey. Additional grants will fund preservation projects in Chattanooga, Franklin, and Bell Buckle.
Additional priorities include those that meet the goals and objectives of the Tennessee Historical Commission’s plan for historic preservation. Properties that use the grant funds for restoration projects must be listed in the National Register. Applications for the next round of grants will open in December 2023.
A complete list of grant recipients and/or National Register listed sites of the projects include:
Bedford County
Town of Bell Buckle
$4,800 to restore exterior of the Bell Buckle Town Hall
Benton County
NAPAS
$17,335.00 to fund archaeological investigations at the Moore Family Century Farm in Holladay
Cannon County
Cannon County Government
$70,320 to restore the windows of the Cannon County Courthouse.
Davidson County
Andrew Jackson Foundation
$21,000 to restore the masonry on the smoke house at the Hermitage, a National Historic Landmark
Metropolitan Historical Commission
$40,000 to fund third phase of the countywide cemetery survey and preservation plan $15,069 to fund neighborhood survey and preparation of a National Register nomination
Centennial Park Conservancy
$25,000 to restore the windows of the Centennial Park Croquet Clubhouse building
Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art
$34,000 to complete a window preservation predevelopment plan-of the Cheek House
Preserve Lindsley Avenue Now
$30,750 to restore stained glass windows of the Lindsley Avenue Church of Christ
Grainger County
City of Rutledge
$29,000 to fund the restoration of exterior of the Nance House
Hamilton County
City of Chattanooga
$70,000 to update local residential historic district guidelines and create local landmark guidelines
Henry County
Quinn Chapel AME
$16,200.00 to restore the masonry of Quinn Chapel AME Church
Jefferson County
Glenmore Preservation Society, Inc.
$16,000 to restore the Entry Foyer of Glenmore Mansion
Knox County
Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum
$60,000 to restore clay tile roof on Joe Howell Home
Loudon County
Dunbar Rosenwald School Foundation Inc
$41,000 to fund interior restoration of the Dunbar Rosenwald School
Maury County
James K. Polk Memorial Association
$10,000 to restore windows in the Polk Home, a National Historic Landmark
Perry County
Metropolitan Government of Lynchburg/Moore County
$60,000 to restore windows on the Perry County Courthouse
Rhea County
Rhea County Government
$40,300 various restoration projects on the National historic Landmark-listed Rhea County Courthouse
Shelby County
Junior League of Memphis
$60,000 to fund exterior repairs to the Boyce-Gregg House
Williamson County
City of Franklin
$24,000.00 for development of a Preservation Assessment and Maintenance Plan for the Toussaint L’Ouverture Cemetery
Washington County
Heritage Alliance
$6,000 to fund roof restoration of the Duncan House
Multi-County Grants
Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
$3,735 for posters for Tennessee Archaeology Week.
Middle Tennessee State University, Department of Sociology and Anthropology $23,040 for archeology survey of Cragfont State Historic Site to locate spaces of enslaved at Castalian Springs
Middle Tennessee State University, Fullerton Laboratory for Spatial Technology $4,140.00 to digitize archaeological site forms for post-emancipation African American archaeological sites
Middle Tennessee State University, Fullerton Laboratory for Spatial Technology $62,181.00 GIS services for historic/architectural survey
Tennessee Division of Archaeology
$5,220 to fund the 2024 Current Research in Tennessee Archaeology conference (CRITA)
East Tennessee Development District
$40,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the East Tennessee Development District
First Tennessee Development District
$35,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the First Tennessee Development District
Northwest Tennessee Development District
$38,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Northwest Tennessee Development District.
South Central Tennessee Development District
$50,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the South Central Tennessee Development District
Southeast Tennessee Development District
$54,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Southeast Tennessee Development District
Southwest Tennessee Development District
$44,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Southwest Tennessee Development District
Upper Cumberland Development District
$40,000 to fund a preservation specialist staff position for the Upper Cumberland Development District
For more information about the Tennessee Historical Commission, please visit the website. For information on grants, contact Holly Barnett at holly.m.barnett@tn.gov.
Photo by Shannon McFarlin.