Historic Preservation Grant Program

In 2019, the Town established a grant program to assist owners of historically designated properties with matching grant funds up to $100,000 for certain exterior and interior preservation, restoration or rehabilitation improvements.  The process for making these types of improvements to an historic structure can be cumbersome for the owner both in process and monetarily, so the Town is hoping to be able to encourage these improvements through a partnership that would relieve the financial burden and streamline the approval process. The application can be found below.

Historic Preservation Grant Application Opens a New Window.

Matching Grant Funds

This grant program contains a match component from the property owner at certain funding levels.  For grant funding up to $10,000, the applicant has no match requirement.  For grant funding from $10,001 - $50,000, the applicant is required to make a 25% funding match.  Grant funding between $50,001 - $100,000 requires a 50% funding match.  

Eligible Improvements

The following exterior preservation, restoration or rehabilitation improvements may be eligible uses of the grant funds:

• Exterior structural work (including foundations)
• Architectural details
• Walls
• Roof
• Replacement or repair of awnings
• Replacement of deteriorated or inefficient windows
• Exterior painting
• Replacement or upgrades of porches, gutter and downspout repair/replacement and lighting
• ADA accessibility
• Fire prevention
• Subject property and right-of-way infrastructure improvements for adaptive reuse or commercial buildings (e.g. improvements to parking areas, drainage, electrical, lighting, sewer, etc.)

The following interior preservation, restoration or rehabilitation improvements may be eligible uses of the grant funds (so long as the exterior of the building is structurally sound and the interior improvements are regularly open to the public):

• Flooring
• Walls
• Ceilings
• Architectural details
• ADA accessibility

Grant Application and Process

The application for grant funding can be found here Opens a New Window. .  Certain modifications to historic structures require a Certificate of Appropriateness and follow an approval process, which can be found on this page.  Once all necessary forms are submitted, applicants can expect the following process for grant application review: 

Please note that grant funding is subject to approvals of any concurrent applications for local historic designation and/or Certificate of Appropriateness.  Also, any work done using grant funding must be completed within one year of the Town's approval of building plans.  To speak with a staff member about the grant application process, please call Planning and Zoning at 561-741-2323.