Certified Local Government Grants Awarded
Grants Fund Local Preservation Projects across the State
 
(COLUMBUS)– The Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office recently awarded nine Ohio communities Certified Local Government grants for historic preservation projects.
 
The Certified Local Government program is a federal-state-local partnership that broadens local government participation in the national historic preservation program while maintaining standards consistent with the National Historic Preservation Act. The goals of the CLG grant program are to develop local historic preservation programs, assist communities in addressing their historic preservation priorities, and help preserve historic buildings and sites.
 
The grants are administered by the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office.
 
The nine recipients of the Certified Local Government grants are:
 
City of Athens
A grant of $12,638 will be used to develop a feasibility study for the Athens National Guard Armory.  With the use of their first CLG grant, the city is committed to preserving this significant building in the Downtown Historic District by putting it back into public service.  Opened in 1915 and acquired by the City in the 1990’s, their goal is to have a plan for the sustainable public use of the building for its 100th anniversary.
 
Village of Burton
A grant of $6,000 will be used to continue their survey of historic resources to 36 properties on Hickox Street.  In addition to raising public awareness of these resources, information from the survey supports local and national historic designation efforts, local review and development planning processes.
 
Green Lawn Abbey Preservation Association
Administering a grant on behalf of the city of Columbus, the Green Lawn Abbey Preservation Association received $15,254 to continue the work to make the Abbey self-sufficient. Green Lawn Abbey is a neoclassical-style mausoleum listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This is the latest of several grants supporting the rehabilitation of the Abbey.  Stained marble will be cleaned, wiring and lighting will be repaired and another stained glass window will be restored.  Completing these projects will increase the opportunities for using the Abbey for special events.
 
City of Columbus
Administered by Heritage Ohio, this $6,500 grant will support the engagement of nationally– acclaimed preservation experts as speakers at their Annual Conference to be held in October 5-7, 2015 in Columbus.  The opportunity to meet and engage with these experts will strengthen the preservation community in Ohio.  This support helps keep registration costs down allowing a broader access to the conference.   
 
City of Cuyahoga Falls
The city received a first-time grant of $8,100 to survey the historic resources of the proposed Cuyahoga River Area Historic District.  The goal of the survey is the designation of the community’s first local historic district.  Designation of the district will allow the city to better protect these important resources as well as actively promote historic preservation as a neighborhood improvement and economic development tool. 
 
City of Dayton
A grant of $20,000 for the repair of exterior features of the Paul Lawrence Dunbar House was awarded to the city of Dayton.  This National Historic Landmark was Ohio’s first state memorial dedicated to an African American.   Administered by the Ohio History Connection, the grant will be used to repair all the wood and wrought iron features of the exterior of the house.  These repairs will extend the life of the building ensuring that it continues as a valuable historic, cultural and economic asset for the community.
 
City of Parma
A $15,000 grant administered by the West Creek Preservation Committee will be used to restore the windows and doors on the 1848 Henninger House.  This is a significant step in the ongoing rehabilitation of the homestead for use in the West Creek Greenway Trail System and the latest of several Certified Local Government grants supporting this goal.  Restored windows and doors will make it possible to use this oldest standing home in Parma for public use for the first time.
 
City of Shaker Heights
A grant of $13,692 administered by the Ohio History Connection will be used to repair the copper roofing and adjacent stonework at the Shaker Historical Museum.  This house museum holds collections from both the City of Shaker Heights and North Union and other Shaker communities.  These repairs will restore the roof and stonework to a waterproof state, protecting the collections for generations to come.
 
City of Wooster
A grant of $12,816 was awarded to hire a consultant to update their Design Guidelines.  The current guidelines, developed in 1999, are dated and have become ineffective due to lack of local specificity and practical application.  The city is committed to developing Design Guidelines that assist the city’s Design Review Board, property owners, tenants, architects, city staff and other interested parties in accomplishing the city’s goals for historic preservation.
 
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Certified Local Government
The Certified Local Government (CLG) program began in Ohio in 1985.This federal-state-local-program allows local communities to conduct a wide range of historic preservation activities (including nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places) in close cooperation with the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office. The National Park Service administers the program nationwide. For more information, visit ohiohistory.org/clg.
 
Ohio Historical Society is now Ohio History Connection
On May 24, 2014, the Ohio Historical Society changed its name to the Ohio History Connection. Established in 1885, this nonprofit organization provides a wide array of statewide services and programs related to collecting, preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology and natural history through more than 50 sites and museums across Ohio, including its flagship museum, the Ohio History Center in Columbus. For more information about programs and events, call 800.686.6124 or go online at ohiohistory.org.
 
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