Besides our blizzard, the other exciting thing that happened Friday was the Mississippi Department of Archives and History announced the recipients of the latest round of Community Heritage Preservation Grants after a special meeting of the MDAH Board of Trustees. As you may remember from earlier this year, this round opened on July 1 with an application deadline of October 9.  The Community Heritage Preservation Grant began in 2001 and this is the 7th round, with rounds being funded annually at the discretion of the Legislature.

Here’s the MDAH announcement from their webpage:

Sixteen preservation and restoration projects from Corinth to Summit have been awarded $2 million in the seventh round of a grant program administered by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The Community Heritage Preservation grant program, authorized and funded through the Mississippi Legislature, helps preserve and restore historic courthouses and schools and, in Certified Local Government communities, other historic properties. Over the life of the program the department has awarded more than $22 million in Community Heritage Preservation grants to 140 projects.

“This program has been crucial in preserving historic structures across the state, and we are grateful to the Legislature for continuing to fund it,” said H.T. Holmes, director of the Department of Archives and History. “With over $14 million in requests and only $2 million available it was difficult choosing from such a competitive group.”

The grant awards are as follows:

Col. William P. Rogers Civil War Statue, Corinth, Alcorn County—$19,800
For repair and restoration of the Confederate monument.

Curlee-Veranda House, Corinth, Alcorn County—$266,000
For restoration of the exterior of the house.

Bolivar County Courthouse, Rosedale, Bolivar County—$300,000
For repair and stabilization of the courthouse wall and foundation.

Carrollton Town Hall, Carrollton, Carroll County—$26,100
For the stabilization and restoration of the back three walls of the building.

(Old) West Clay Agriculture High School, Pheba, Clay County—$51,170
For interior rehabilitation of the first floor.

Governor A. M. Scott Monument, Jackson, Hinds County—$4,000
For stabilization of the monument.

Lowry-Flannegan House, Jackson, Hinds County—$92,928
For exterior restoration.

Prentiss Institute Rosenwald School, Prentiss, Jefferson Davis County—$164,000
For exterior and interior renovations.

Ventress Hall (Old Geology), University, Lafayette County—$40,724
For repair and restoration of the stained glass window.

(Old) Matty Hersee Hospital, Meridian, Lauderdale County—$300,000
For asbestos abatement.

(Old) Carthage Elementary School, Carthage, Leake County—$134,400
For preservation of the building.

Elizabeth Cottage, Brookhaven, Lincoln County—$98,260
For stabilization of structural components and restoration of exterior architectural features.

Tennessee Williams House, Columbus, Lowndes County—$108,000
For repair of floor and framing, reproduction of fireplaces and chimneys, and removal of roof.

Amory (Old) National Guard Armory Re-roofing Project, Amory, Monroe County—$132,775
For roof replacement.

Liberty-White Depot Museum, Summit, Pike County—$56,843
For restoration of depot.

Tallahatchie County Courthouse, Sumner, Tallahatchie County—$205,000
For replication of windows and doors.

The Board of Trustees of the Department of Archives and History determined the grant recipients at a special meeting on December 4. Grant awards are paid on a reimbursable basis upon the successful completion of the entire project or at the time of the completion of pre-established phases of the project. Prior to application all buildings must have been designated Mississippi Landmarks. Only county or municipal governments, school districts, and nonprofit organizations granted Section 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service may submit applications. In reviewing and evaluating the grants, the Board of Trustees of MDAH attempted to balance the geographical distribution of grant awards.

To become a Certified Local Government, a community must adopt a preservation ordinance establishing a preservation commission in accordance with federal and state guidelines. Once the commission has been established, application for CLG status may be made to the National Park Service through the Department of Archives and History. MDAH works closely with local government officials and citizens to help them create and manage a workable local historic preservation program.

You may recall from the news roundup that the Summit Historical Society got the Liberty-White Depot moved into Summit in September, so this will be a big boost for that project. I don’t have pictures right now of any of these in my massive photo collection, which is embarrassing to admit, but I’ll try to round some up over the coming week so we can get a better understanding of these projects. I know it will never happen, but I always wish I could see the whole list of all the applicants to compare the projects that received the grant with those that didn’t.

Click here for a list of previous CHPG grantees.

Categories: Amory, Brookhaven, Carrollton, Carthage, Columbus, Corinth, Courthouses, Depots, Grants, Hospitals/Medical, Jackson, Meridian, Oxford, Renovation Projects, Rosedale, Schools, Summit, Sumner, Universities/Colleges