Preservation Works in Western Mass Bruhn Sub-Grant Program

PROGRAM SUMMARY

With a generous grant from the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program, funded by the federal Historic Preservation Fund and administered by the National Park Service (NPS) Department of the Interior, the Pioneer Valley Regional Ventures Center (Ventures Center) will provide $650,000 in sub-grants to competitively selected preservation and rehabilitation projects on National Register-listed historic community anchor buildings or built resources in Western Massachusetts. Projects will be in designated municipalities with less than 12,500 residents in Hampden and Hampshire Counties and West Central and Southwest Central Worcester County. These funds will have a long-lasting positive impact, support economic development, and will particularly benefit communities that have worked to honor historically significant resources with pursuit of National Register listings. There will be no matching funds required but project properties will be subject to monitored term Preservation Restrictions as a condition of the funding. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) will manage the program.

The 40 Western, West-Central, and South-West Central Massachusetts rural communities eligible for this program have an abundance of locally valued National Register-listed historic resources considered to be community anchor buildings, tied to local heritage. Funding provided through this program is intended to serve as a catalyst for commercial and social activity and greater investment to benefit local economies.

The program received 18 Expression of Interest Applications in the Spring of 2024 and 16 projects were found eligible and invited to apply for the Full Application. The 15 Full Applications submitted totaled $1,369,500 in funding requests. The projects were scored and ranked with the top seven awarded funding and the next top three chosen as alternates.

AWARDED PROJECTS NOTIFIED IN JULY 2024

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH BLANDFORD (HAMPDEN COUNTY)

Blandford Historical Society

4 North Street, Blandford - $70,000 for roof replacement

GOSHEN TOWN HALL (HAMPSHIRE COUNTY)

Town of Goshen

42 Main Street, Goshen - $89,000 for masonry repair, gutter installation, repairs to the main entry stairs, gutter installation, and kitchen ADA compliance

HARDWICK TOWN HOUSE (WORCESTER COUNTY)

Town of Hardwick

32 Common Street, Hardwick - $95,000 for repairs to the roof, exterior masonry, windows, and bell tower and exterior painting

MEMORIAL TOWN HALL - MONSON (HAMPDEN COUNTY)

Town of Monson

198 Main Street, Monson - $100,000 for interior plaster repair and painting in the grand hall

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - WARE (HAMPSHIRE COUNTY)

Workshop13

13 Church Street, Ware - $100,000 for an interior lift to support ADA compliance to the second floor gallery

CHARLES PORTER PHELPS HOUSE - PHELPS FARM - HADLEY (HAMPSHIRE COUNTY)

Porter-Phelps-Huntington Foundation

113 River Drive, Hadley - $100,000 for planning and stabilization of the historic ell

SOUTHAMPTON TOWN HALL (HAMPDEN COUNTY)

Town of Southampton (First Alternate)

8 East Street, Southampton - $96,000 for exterior masonry repointing and restoration of the historic main entrance steps

PROGRAM GOALS

The Preservation Works in Western Mass Bruhn Sub-Grant Program will support the following goals:

Provide gap funding to preserve and rehabilitate underutilized or endangered historic community anchor buildings in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.
Spur economic development and community placemaking.
Promote the value of documenting irreplaceable historic and cultural resources.
Support resiliency by connecting all applicants to educational resources for ongoing maintenance and protection.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the NPS’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources. Most communities across the country have examples of historic anchor buildings with distinctive architecture that are tied to local heritage and could be considered key resources to support a strong and stable economy. Projects proposed for this competitive sub-grant program must support the revitalization of National Register-listed historic anchor buildings that are significant to the community and, when rehabilitated, successful applications will demonstrate how rehabilitation will contribute to local economic development. Eligible applicants for this program’s competitive sub-grants will be private, public, or nonprofit owners of National Register-listed buildings which meet program goals and criteria. Applicants must own the resource proposed for rehabilitation and the resource must be accessible to the public. Eligible properties with pending National Register nominations will be considered but federal listing must occur by the end of the project.

Current property documentation and designation status can be confirmed through the Massachusetts Historical Commission Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) or by checking a property address at MACRIS Maps. National Register-listed resources in the following 40 communities, with populations of less than 12,500 residents are eligible for this program based on location and population: