Submitted by Thurston County
Historic preservation organizations in Thurston County have an opportunity to apply for grants of up to $5,000. The application period for the 2022 Thurston County Heritage Grant Program (HGP) begins today and ends Wednesday, September 22.https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/tchome/Pages/default.aspx
The Thurston County Historic Commission will review and rank the applications in late September. The Historic Commission will contact the applicant if additional information is needed for review. The applicant will have two weeks to respond.
The Heritage Grant Program is funded by revenues the county collects from the recording of documents. By state law, these funds can only be used for programs and projects related to historic preservation.
In addition to funding the grant program, the Thurston County Board of Commissioners has also authorized up to $10,000 annually for projects managed by the Thurston County Historic Commission. These funds are typically used for the creation of historic markers in the county and to help support efforts such as the historic barn documentation project.
In 2021, there were a total of nine complete grant applications received and ranked by the Historic Commission for HGP funding. On Thursday, January 14, 2021 the Board of County Commissioners voted on the Historic Commission’s recommendation and approved funding for all nine applications, for a total of $45,000; each applicant received $5,000 in grant funding. Past grant supported projects include:
- Tenino Depot Museum Artifact projects, including a multimedia self-guided tour
- Restoration of former NWRR Caboose as a living history exhibit
The application form and guidelines are available here. Once all applications have been received, they will be reviewed by a sub-committee, and then the entire Thurston County Historic Commission. The Board of County Commissioners will award the grants at the end of 2021.
Those with questions can call Sonja Cady, Administrative Assistant, at 360.867.2117.
