Washington State Establishes Grant Program for Rural Communities

The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) is pleased to announce a new grant program to support the preservation of historic buildings in rural communities across Washington state.  The brick and mortar grants will fund physical preservation projects for historic buildings with spaces that foster community.

Communal gathering spaces are vital for rural communities.  They are physical environments that promote social interaction where people connect and spend time together outside of their home and work. They are locations where citizens exchange ideas, build relationships, and create a shared feeling of belonging in a community. As communities recover from the pandemic, these venues will be essential in promoting long-term mental health and enabling people to heal and reconnect. They will continue to foster place-making and catalyze locally based economic development.

The grants will stimulate economic investment in rural areas by turning vacant and underutilized historic buildings into occupied income generating properties that will result in permanent job creation, generate tax revenue, and offer long-term stability for historic properties. More than half a million dollars will be available.

DAHP has received this generous funding through the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant program, which is funded by the Historic Preservation Fund as administered by the National Park Service (NPS), Department of Interior.

More information will be available regarding the grant application process and eligibility by January 2021. To stay up to date, please visit www.dahp.wa.gov.