Grants Fund Preservation Projects
The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has awarded grants totaling more than $63,000 to ten preservation projects in Certified Local Government (CLG) communities across the state. Amounts range from $1,250 for the development of an interactive website that interprets Boonville’s historic district to $12,500 to continue the rehabilitation of the Weinberg House in Greenville.
“We are delighted to be able to assist our CLG communities in their local preservation efforts,” said Shelby Tipton, MDAH local government assistance coordinator. “We are especially pleased with some of the innovative projects we were able to fund this year.”
The 2018 grants are as follows:
Baldwyn, $1,280, for the development of a brochure that interprets Baldwyn’s historic district and the county line.
Biloxi, $10,000, to continue a historic resources survey and GPS mapping of the Old Biloxi Cemetery.
Booneville, $1,250, to develop an interactive website that interprets Booneville’s historic district.
Claiborne County, $2,000, to design a map application and printed brochure that interprets the Port Gibson Civil War Battlefield.
Greenville, $12,500, to continue the restoration of the historic Weinberg House.
Greenwood, $5,000, to consolidate Greenwood’s historic districts into one commercial district.
Jackson, $12,500, to complete the second phase of a historic resources survey and National Register nomination of the Midtown Neighborhood.
Oxford, $2,451.10, to complete a historic resources survey and National Register nomination of the Avent Acres Neighborhood.
Starkville, $6,500, to produce an addendum to the Design Standards for Starkville’s Downtown Historic District.
Tupelo, $10,000, to continue the restoration of the historic Spain House.
The Certified Local Government program is a federal-state-local partnership designed to assist communities in dealing with diverse preservation needs through funding and technical assistance. CLG communities may apply for annual grants to undertake preservation projects of importance to the community. Grants may be used for such diverse projects as the restoration of historic buildings; historical, architectural, or archaeological site inventory work; preparation of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places; educational programs; and staff support for new historic preservation commissions.
Funding for the grants comes from the Historic Preservation Fund, a federal grants program appropriated by the U.S. Congress and administered by the National Park Service, which provides financial support to State Historic Preservation Offices—in Mississippi the Historic Preservation Division of MDAH.
To become a CLG, 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. To learn more about the CLG program, contact Michelle Jones at 662-325-2520, or visit
.The fifty-seven CLG communities in Mississippi are Aberdeen, Baldwyn, Biloxi, Booneville, Brandon, Canton, Carrollton, Carthage, Claiborne County, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Clinton, Columbia, Columbus, Como, Corinth, Durant, Friars Point, Gautier, Greenville, Greenwood, Grenada, Hattiesburg, Hazlehurst, Hernando, Holly Springs, Indianola, Jackson, Kosciusko, Laurel, Leland, Lexington, Louisville, McComb, Meridian, Mound Bayou, Mount Olive, Natchez, Newton, Ocean Springs, Oxford, Pascagoula, Philadelphia, Port Gibson, Quitman, Raymond, Ripley, Senatobia, Sharkey County, Starkville, Tunica, Tupelo, Vicksburg, West, West Point, Winona, and Woodville.