AHPP awards nearly $3 million in grants for Arkansas historic preservation projects

The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP), a division of the Department of Arkansas Heritage (DAH), has awarded $2.96 million in grants for projects in 58 Arkansas counties through its County Courthouse Restoration Grant, Historic Preservation Restoration Grant and Main Street Downtown Revitalization Grant programs.

“These grants help protect our state’s historic resources, encouraging community revitalization, civic pride and quality of life,” DAH Director Stacy Hurst said in a news release. “We are proud to partner with these entities and protect the best of authentic Arkansas.”

Twenty-four counties shared $1.76 million in County Courthouse Restoration Grants, which are financed through Real Estate Transfer Tax funds distributed by the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council for rehabilitation of historic county courthouses across Arkansas. Funding requests totaled $6.91 million.

Counties receiving courthouse grants were:
Arkansas, $5,280; Boone, $56,510; Bradley, $36,000; Cleburne, $40,000; Cleveland, $29,500; Crittenden, $20,000; Dallas, $47,500; Desha, $235,430; Hot Spring, $100,000; Independence, $54,600; Johnson, $37,510; Lafayette, $40,000; Lawrence, $215,730; Lee, $100,000; Lincoln, $66,498; Little River, $127,000; Madison, $57,153; Monroe, $16,577; Montgomery, $24,000; Pike, $82,500; Prairie, $74,269; Stone, $111,929; Van Buren, $102,000, and Washington, $76,000.

Twenty-nine projects shared $874,795 in Historic Preservation Restoration Grants (HPRG), which distribute funds raised through the Real Estate Transfer Tax to rehabilitate buildings listed on the Arkansas or National Registers of Historic Places and owned by local governments or not-for-profit organizations. Grant requests totaled $2.28 million.

HPRG recipients, the amount of their grants, and the properties to be restored, were:

• Bradley County Historical Museum, $10,540 for roof and siding restoration at the John Martin House in Warren;
• City of Arkadelphia, $19,333 for roof restoration at the Missouri-Pacific Depot;
• City of Eureka Springs, $9,999 for documentation and restoration work at the Eureka Springs Cemetery;
• City of Highfill, $20,000 for roof restoration at the Highfill Community Center;
• City of Little Rock, $63,333 for roof and masonry restoration at the Oakland and Fraternal Cemetery Mausoleum;
• City of Nashville, $10,000 for restoration work at the American Legion Building;
• City of Osceola, $39,757 structural frame restoration at the Coston Building;
• City of Paris, $10,000 for HVAC and electrical upgrades at the American Legion Hut;
• City of Paragould, $20,000 for roof restoration at the Linwood Mausoleum;
• City of Rogers, $16,667 for window restoration at the Victory Theater;
• City of Stephens, $67,000 for wood-deck restoration on the Arkansas Highway 57 Bridge;
• City of Warren, $50,000 for HVAC and to make the former Warren and Ouachita Railway Station accessible to all;
• Drew County Historical Society and Museum, $94,265 for roof restoration at the Garvin Cavaness House in Monticello;
• Fort Smith Museum of History, $18,000 for masonry restoration at the Atkinson-Williams Warehouse that houses the museum;
• Garland County, $79,333 for roof restoration at the former National Guard Armory;
• Huntsville School District, $19,667 for moisture control and restoration work at the St. Paul School in St. Paul;
• Little River County Training School Alumni Association, $20,000 for an accessible bathroom at the Home Economics Building near Ashdown;
• Mount Salem School/Church, $10,000 for roof and front entrance restoration at the school near Paris;
• Nevada County Industrial Development and Charitable Foundation, $8,985 for monument conservation and vegetation control at the Moscow Cemetery near Prescott;
• People Helping Others Excel by Example (P.H.O.E.B.E), $30,964 for structural repair at the John L. Webb House in Hot Springs;
• Perry County Historical Museum, $12,000 for window and door restoration at the former American Legion Hut;
• Prairie County, $36,371 for window restoration at the former First Presbyterian Church in Des Arc;
• Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, $19,435 for a condition assessment of the Fitzgerald Station and Homestead in Springdale;
• Singleton Cemetery Association, $4,000 for restoration work at the Singleton Cemetery in Charleston;
• John’s Episcopal Church, $50,221 for restoration work at the church in Fort Smith;
• Paul’s Episcopal Church, $51,678 for basement, window and roof restoration at the church in Batesville;
• Trumann Community House, $10,000 for an accessible bathroom at the Poinsett Community Club in Trumann;
• Valley Springs School District, $41,712 for window restoration and other work at the Ole Main Building;
• Women’s Literary Club of Van Buren, $31,553 for restoration work at the former First Presbyterian Church.

Twenty-one Main Street Arkansas programs shared $315,000 in Downtown Revitalization Grants, which are funded through the state Real Estate Transfer Tax and are available to accredited Main Street programs for building rehabilitations, parks, streetscape improvements and other design-related projects that will have major long-term impacts in the local Main Street area.

Main Street programs in Batesville, Blytheville, Dumas, El Dorado, Eureka Springs, Helena-West Helena, Osceola, Ozark, Paragould, Rogers, Russellville, Searcy, Siloam Springs, Texarkana, West Memphis, the Conway Downtown Partnership, Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Downtown Jonesboro Association, Southside Main Street Project, Pine Bluff Downtown Development and the Argenta Downtown Council in North Little Rock each received $15,000 grants through the program.

An additional $18,000 in Downtown Revitalization Grants was awarded to cities involved in Main Street’s Arkansas Downtown Network. Grants of $1,000 each were awarded to the programs in Arkadelphia, Clarksville, Forrest City, Fort Smith, Hardy, Heber Springs, Hope, Malvern, Mena, Monticello, Morrilton, Newport, Paris, Pocahontas, Prairie Grove, Rector, Warren and Wynne.