PRESERVING THE PAST FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
The Preservation Grant Program encourages preservation of the architectural treasures that make our community unique.
Purpose:
Georgetown Heritage Society (GHS) offers grants to assist with the restoration or rehabilitation of residential or commercial historic structures in the greater Georgetown area that are listed on the City of Georgetown's 2007 Historic Resource Survey, as amended. The purpose is to promote the importance of and encourage preservation of the stock of historic structures for the betterment of the entire community.
Policies and Procedures:
The GHS Board of Directors will annually define the form of the application for a grant, the period during which applications will be accepted, and the grant notification date. Most policies and procedures of the program will be stated in the application form where they will be available to potential applicants. For simplicity, they will not be duplicated here.
The Grant Program will be funded from the unencumbered monies in the GHS Preservation Fund. Each grant cycle the GHS Board will determine the funding level for the grant program taking into account the funds available, the quality of the projects proposed to be funded, and other needs that may arise. Total program funding and funding of any particular project are discretionary based on the judgment of the Board.
A committee of volunteers appointed by the Board will evaluate applicants’ projects and make a recommendation to the Board as to which projects should be funded and to what extent. The final decision on grant approval will be made by vote of the Board in accordance with the bylaws. The committee is encouraged to suggest improvements to the program based on experience over time.
The availability of the Grant Program will be communicated to the general public by press releases to local newspapers and other means determined by the Board, including information on the GHS web-site. Information will be communicated to members by being included in routine communications and by a report at the annual meeting.
Please Note: Grant Program Applications will be accepted January 7 through February 18, 2016. Awards will be announced April 7, 2016
FAQs
When will the first grants be available?
The first cycle of grants will be awarded April 7, 2016. The window for applying opens January 7 and closes February 18 at 4 pm. There are restrictions. For example, if a building permit and/or HARC approval is required for the project, these must be acquired before applying. Projects which have been completed or even begun will not be eligible. Anyone considering applying for a grant should read the entire application form now in order to understand the process.
How does one obtain a grant application form?
The application may be viewed on-line and printed from the Georgetown Heritage Society web-site or picked up during Thursday and Friday office hours at the Grace Heritage Center, 811 S. Main St., Georgetown.
What buildings are considered eligible for the Preservation Grant Program?
Historic structures listed as such in the City of Georgetown 2007 Historic Resource Survey, as amended, are eligible. More information on the Historic Resource Survey is available on the City of Georgetown web-site and at the Georgetown Public Library.
What aspects of work will the grants cover?
Grants are intended to help keep historic structures structurally sound. Generally, think of the exterior envelope --- foundation, walls, windows and roof. For more details, see the application form.
How much can the grants be?
Grant applications must be supported by firm bids. The size of grants will depend on a number of factors, including the amounts requested that are judged meet GHS guidelines, GHS judgment of the significance and need of the structures for which grants are applied, and the amount of money we are able to raise and dedicate to the grant program. For our first cycle, we are assuming a grant greater than $5000 would be rare.