Eleven organizations awarded with Historic Preservation Education Grants in 2025 

Grants fund public programs that educate Hoosiers about historic structures and the need to protect and preserve them

INDIANAPOLIS (Dec. 10, 2025)—Eleven organizations, including cultural centers, museums, a library, and other groups, received nearly $28,000 in Historic Preservation Education Grants (HPEGs) from Indiana Humanities and Indiana Landmarks in 2025. The grants provide funds to support preservation-education efforts in communities across the state.

Projects supported by 2025 HPEG funding include signage and walking tours highlighting landmarks in downtown Columbia City, a booklet on Indiana’s historic barns, and a series of workshops that help residents in the town of Pierceton uncover the history of their homes and commercial buildings.

“It’s an honor to partner with Indiana Landmarks to offer this grant,” said George Hanlin, director of grants at Indiana Humanities. “Indiana’s cities, towns, and rural landscapes are home to countless historically significant structures, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to help Hoosiers learn about and appreciate them.”

“We are proud to support projects that highlight historic places around the state,” said Suzanne Stanis, vice president of education at Indiana Landmarks. “Sharing their stories, artistry, and heritage is an integral part of building support for their preservation.”

The following organizations received grants (full descriptions of the projects follow):

• Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, Auburn
• Ball State University, Muncie
• Cedar Lake Historical Association, Cedar Lake
• Columbia City Connect, Columbia City
• Decay Devils, Gary
• Harrison Center, Indianapolis
• Indiana Barn Foundation, Indianapolis
• Pierceton and Washington Township Public Library, Pierceton
• Ruthmere Foundation, Elkhart
• SullivanMunce Cultural Center, Zionsville
• Town of Cumberland, Cumberland

These are the projects that received funding:
A Walk through History: Rephotographing Auburn’s Historic Homes and Automotive History

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum, Auburn

Congressional District: 3

Awarded: $3,000

Program Date: August 2025–August 2026

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum selected from its archives 15 historic photographs showing automobiles in front of Auburn homes. It then re-created the images, positioning and photographing cars from its collection in front of the same homes today, echoing the original images while portraying the cars and homes in a modern context. The museum installed an exhibition showing the historic and contemporary photos side by side to offer visitors a compelling visual narrative that illustrates the evolution of Auburn’s architectural landscape and automotive heritage. 

Preserving Indiana’s Historic Landscape: Education and Engagement through the Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation (AHLP) 2025 Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana

Ball State University, Muncie

Congressional District: 5

Awarded: $3,000

Program Date: May 2025

Ball State University used grant funds to record sessions at the 2025 Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation Conference and to post them online for broader public engagement. The conference, which took place in Indianapolis in May 2025, engaged scholars, preservation professionals, and community members in critical discussions and immersive learning experiences related to historic landscape preservation. 

Lassen’s Resort Architectural Model

Cedar Lake Historical Association, Cedar Lake

Congressional District: 1

Awarded: $3,000

Program Date: May 2026–Ongoing

The Cedar Lake Historical Association (CLHA), located on the grounds of the former Lassen’s Resort, will produce an architectural 3D model showing what the resort looked like and display it in its museum lobby. The model will be a permanent exhibit experience for all museum guests and will become the starting point for all guided gallery tours. Accompanying photographs and handouts will highlight the resort’s original 22 structures and help visitors understand the CLHA’s restoration and preservation efforts.

Windows into History: Discovering Columbia City’s Past

Columbia City Connect, Columbia City

Congressional District: 3

Awarded: $1,828

Program Date: April–November 2025

Columbia City Connect installed large, visually compelling window decals on storefronts throughout downtown Columbia City. The decals featured untold stories about historic figures, significant events, and notable architectural landmarks, and each included a QR code linking to a digital historic tour, allowing users to access additional information, archival images, and narratives. Columbia City Connect also hosted educational and awareness activities such as guided tours to promote the value of historic preservation. 

Landmarks and Art Guide 2026

Decay Devils, Gary

Congressional District: 1

Awarded: $3,000

Program Date: January–December 2026

Five years ago, Decay Devils received a Historic Preservation Education Grant to develop a printed guide highlighting historic landmarks, public art, and community preservation efforts in the city of Gary. Given the success of the project in raising awareness, sparking exploration, and promoting discussion, Decay Devils will replicate the effort in other communities in northwest Indiana. Grant funds will support a Landmarks and Art Guide for Michigan City, with both a printed and a digital guide featuring maps, guided walking and biking tours, and interactive media on the digital version.

Buildings Tell Colorful Stories

Harrison Center, Indianapolis

Congressional District: 7

Awarded: $3,000

Program Date: March 2026 (publication)

The Harrison Center will introduce “Buildings Tell Colorful Stories,” a multimedia project that will teach visitors about the history of its building, Indianapolis’s former First Presbyterian Church. The center will commission an artist and writer to create a coloring book/storybook that showcases architectural details of the building. QR codes throughout the book will link to scavenger-hunt videos that highlight features such as limestone facades with fossils, Romanesque arches, and window frames that once held Tiffany glass.

Indiana’s Heritage Barns: Their History, Uses, and Preservation, 2nd Edition

Indiana Barn Foundation, Indianapolis

Congressional District: 7

Awarded: $3,000

Program Date: August 2026 (publication)

In 2020, the Indiana Barn Foundation (IBF) received a Historic Preservation Education Grant to produce an educational booklet about historic Indiana barns, describing the various types, their uses, and their evolution. To date, the IBF has distributed nearly 12,000 copies of the booklet, and before printing more, it plans to make revisions, including adding photos and a library reference section. Also, based on feedback from users, the IBF will add a section providing readers with information on how the IBF helps to assess historic barns, what the process looks like, and common issues that owners may identify and address in their own barns. Grant funds will support these updates and the printing of 8,000 copies of the revised booklet. 

Preserving Pierceton’s Past: Building Community through Shared History

Pierceton and Washington Township Public Library, Pierceton

Congressional District: 3

Awarded: $3,000

Program Date: January–November 2026

The Pierceton and Washington Township Public Library will work with a consultant to deliver programs that share the history of Pierceton and promote historic-preservation efforts. Activities will include community lectures and walking tours that promote the town’s architectural and social history; two historical displays and scan-a-thons to digitize community photographs; a workshop that teaches methods for researching local buildings, businesses, and family history; an activity that introduces elementary students to building appreciation; and a presentation on preservation economics, heritage tourism benefits, and tax-credit opportunities for property owners. Grant funds will also support planning efforts for developing window signs for downtown storefronts. The signs will feature historical photographs and timelines along with QR codes that link to a website with more information.

History in Plain Sight: Above-Ground Archaeology Bingo Historic Education Programming

Ruthmere Foundation, Elkhart

Congressional District: 2

Awarded: $1,500

Program Date: April–December 2026

The Ruthmere Museum will develop and pilot “History in Plain Sight,” an innovative historic-preservation education program designed to transform the way participants see, understand, and engage with the built environment around them. The program will introduce audiences to the methods of aboveground archaeology through an accessible, interactive format that combines guided walking tours, a bingo-style observation game, professional preservation instruction, and creative writing. The experience will reveal how historic preservation is woven into the fabric of everyday life while empowering participants to recognize and advocate for the landmarks and subtle features that tell their community’s story.

Preserving Our Place: A Lecture Series on History, Heritage, and the Future of Our Community

SullivanMunce Cultural Center, Zionsville

Congressional District: 4

Awarded: $1,000

Program Date: June–November 2026

The SullivanMunce Cultural Center will present “Preserving Our Place: A Lecture Series on History, Heritage, and the Future of Our Community.” The series will feature preservation professionals, historians, and community advocates who will present lectures designed to increase awareness, appreciation, and practical knowledge of historic preservation. The presentations will explore topics such as the ways that preservation strengthens communities, builds cultural identity, and supports economic development; landmark structures in Zionsville and Boone County and preservation success stories; statewide preservation trends and tools; and more. 

Cumberland’s Pathways to the Past

Town of Cumberland, Cumberland

Congressional District: 6 and 7

Awarded: $2,579

Program Date: January 2026 (launch)

The Town of Cumberland will develop an interactive, self-guided audio tour and online exhibition that immerses participants in the stories, architecture, and significance of the town’s historic district. More than a simple narration of dates and events, the tour will use compelling storytelling, archival images, and firsthand accounts to bring Cumberland’s history to life. At each stop, listeners will hear the voices of the past—tales of early settlers, the evolution of key buildings, and the transformations that have shaped the community over the years. The companion online exhibition will serve as an extension of the tour, offering a deeper dive into Cumberland’s history. This digital resource will feature archival photographs, historical documents, and in-depth narratives, giving participants the opportunity to explore our town’s heritage beyond what can be covered in an audio format.

For more information about Indiana Humanities’ grants, contact George Hanlin, director of grants, at ghanlin@indianahumanities.org.

To learn more about funding opportunities from Indiana Landmarks, contact Suzanne Stanis, vice president of education, at sstanis@indianalandmarks.org or visit www.indianalandmarks.org/grants-and-loans.