HELENA – The Montana Historical Society’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is announcing a new round of building preservation grants, which will provide between $20,000 and $100,000 per award to support preservation projects across Montana.
Funding for this “brick-and-mortar” grant comes from the state accommodations tax. The program will award funds for physical repairs and improvements to properties listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. All work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Rehabilitation of Historic Properties.
“The SHPO Grant will be a tool for communities eager to capitalize on their historic architecture,” said SHPO’s Historic Architecture Specialist Lindsay Tran. “It will help reestablish underutilized buildings to strengthen communities socially and economically. The ideal candidate property is one that would be a hub for locals and a draw for tourists.”
SHPO’s idea for the program came from seeing home-grown preservation projects succeed in communities across the state. Ekalaka established its town hall and library in an empty bank the town preserved; one-by-one, Phillipsburg’s commercial building owners reinvigorated their community by repainting and sprucing up their Victorian-era building facades; and Deer Lodge’s Rialto Theater rose from the ashes of a devastating fire to maintain its status as the community’s gathering place on Main Street.
“We saw community buy-in with these pioneering projects,” said State Historic Preservation Officer Pete Brown. “They were restorative architecturally and added to community spirit. We always thought it would be great if SHPO could help these projects monetarily, and we’re grateful to be in that position now.”
SHPO seeks a diverse applicant base including private, non-profit, and public owners of historic properties. Learn more about the program and sign up for a Nov. 21 applicant webinar at https://mhs.mt.gov/Shpo. E5P
