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Indiana nonprofits receive grants for preservation education projects

Indiana Humanities and Indiana Landmarks have awarded grants of up to $2,500 to eight nonprofit organizations across Indiana. The joint Historic Preservation Education Grant program made awards totaling $18,914. The…

Indiana Humanities and Indiana Landmarks have awarded grants of up to $2,500 to eight nonprofit organizations across Indiana. The joint Historic Preservation Education Grant program made awards totaling $18,914.

The Historic Preservation Education Grant program supports educational projects related to historic places in Indiana. This year’s grants will fund a variety of projects including a program pairing students with preservation professionals in Madison, a web-based map highlighting historic synagogues across Indiana and a walking tour outlining the history of Nappanee.

“We’ve been making these grants for 20 years,” observed Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks, “and we see evidence that the projects we fund have helped Hoosiers understand and appreciate the role historic places play in their communities’ quality of life and revitalization.”

 

2018 Historic Preservation Education Grants went to:

Historic Madison, Inc., Madison ($2,500)
Helping Hands at Cravenhurst Barn

Historic Madison, Inc., will develop a three-day program that offers local youth the opportunity to work alongside preservation professionals as they explore, document and carry out maintenance and stabilization work on a unique historic barn in Madison.

 

Indiana Medical History Museum, Indianapolis ($2,500)

Central State Hospital Walking Tour Booklet

The Indiana Medical History Museum will produce and distribute a printed and downloadable self-guided walking tour booklet highlighting the history of the former Central State Hospital in Indianapolis. The booklet will use narrative, photographs and maps to explore the architecture and landscape, as well as the importance of preserving the buildings and memories attached to the site.

 

Memorial Opera House, Valparaiso ($2,500)
Voices of the Memorial Opera House

A series of four public presentations about the building’s significance and the need for preservation will be held. The project also includes the development of a documentary video about the history of the structure.

 

Nappanee Public Library, Nappanee ($2,500)
Hit the Pavement in Historic Nappanee
To help residents and visitors learn more about Nappanee and its history, the Nappanee Public Library will develop four walking tours of the town. The tours will focus on historic homes, downtown structures, early businesses and the lost community of Locke. In addition to leading tours in person, the library will make tours available as a mobile app.

 

Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis ($1,414)
Exhibit on Bethel AME Historic Church Building
The Indiana Historical Society will research, digitize and exhibit images of Indianapolis’s historic Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church building, presenting the images and accompanying research in its “Destination Indiana” gallery and via its website. This exhibit will tell the story of the church, its importance to the African American community, and efforts to preserve the structure on the downtown canal after the congregation relocated in 2016.

 

Gary Redevelopment Commission, Gary ($2,500)
Gary Preservation Tour 2018
The Gary Redevelopment Commission will conduct a series of educational tours over two days in three of Gary’s historic districts: downtown, the Horace Mann neighborhood and the Morningside neighborhood. Visitors will receive a brochure that highlights the historic structures on the tour and presents a history of the district.

 

Indiana Jewish Historical Society, Indianapolis ($2,500)
Jewish Small-Town Map
The Indiana Jewish Historical Society will conduct research to identify and map historic synagogues (from the 1860s to the 1960s) across the state. The project also will create a web-based searchable map highlighting the history and architectural features of existing synagogues and providing information on those that have been demolished.

 

Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust, Fort Wayne ($2,500)
Fall in Love with Fort Wayne
The Allen County Courthouse Preservation Trust will provide tours of the Allen County courthouse and the History Center (located in the former Fort Wayne city hall) for area students. The tours will focus on the architectural design, artwork and history of the two landmarks.

 

“We love the way these projects allow organizations to better connect with their communities to celebrate their past,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “It is heartening to see such great ideas and interest around the state in historic preservation.”

In 2018, Indiana Humanities offers three grants: Historic Preservation Education Grants, in partnership with Indiana Landmarks; Humanities Initiative Grants, given to nonprofit organizations to conduct public programs emphasizing the humanities; and Quantum Leap Grants, which fund programs that explore the intersection of the humanities and the sciences. Humanities Initiative Grants and Quantum Leap Grants are awarded twice in 2018—the next deadline is July 30.

In the past five years Indiana Humanities, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, has awarded more than 250 grants totaling more than $500,000 to nonprofit groups in dozens of Indiana cities and towns.

In addition to Historic Preservation Education Grants, Indiana Landmarks operates four grant programs to help Hoosiers preserve historic places: African American Landmarks Grants; Efroymson Family Endangered Places Grants, which allow nonprofits to commission professional restoration feasibility studies and cost analyses; Partners in Preservation Grants to assist in professional preparation of National Register nominations, and, in cooperation with the Central Indiana Community Foundation, Marion County Preservation Grants for restoration and other preservation-related projects.

 

About Indiana Humanities

Indiana Humanities connects people, opens minds and enriches lives by creating and facilitating programs that encourage people to think, read and talk. Learn more at www.indianahumanities.org.

 

About Indiana Landmarks

Indiana Landmarks, a private nonprofit organization saves historic places and uses preservation as a catalyst to revitalize communities. With 6,200 members and a staff of 36 in nine offices across the state, Indiana Landmarks is the largest statewide preservation group in the U.S. Visit www.indianalandmarks.orgfor more information or call 317.639.4534 or 800.450.4534.