1772 Foundation Grants for Maine Historic Preservation Projects

GRANTS FOR MAINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECTS

The 1772 Foundation generously grants funding to nonprofit organizations in the form of 1:1 matching grants of up to $10,000 for shovel-ready historic preservation projects. Maine Preservation is honored to partner with The 1772 Foundation to make these grants available in Maine.

The deadline for Letters of Interest has passed.

Not all letters of interest will result in an invitation to apply. Full applications will be due March 3, 2025. Please direct questions to brad@mainepreservation.org with “1772 Foundation” in the subject line.

2024 Grants

Maine Preservation has announced the 21 organizations granted funds by The 1772 Foundation in 2024. Grants were provided for exterior work: painting; surface restoration; fire/security systems; repairs to/restoration of chimneys, porches, roofs, and windows; repairs to foundations and sills; and masonry repointing. Projects were evaluated by Maine Preservation field services staff, who also will manage the grants.

Read the Press Release

THE AWARDEES

View the grantees below and click on the images to visit the organizations’ websites to learn more about their missions. 

2023 Grants

Read the Press Release

View the grantees below and click on the images to visit the organizations’ websites to learn more about their missions. 

2022 Grants

Read the Press Release

THE AWARDEES

View the grantees below and click on the images to visit the organizations’ websites to learn more about their missions. 

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2021 grants

Read the Press Release

The Awardees

View the grantees below and click on the images to visit the organizations’ websites to learn more about their missions. 

2020 grants

The Awardees

View the grantees below and click on the images to visit the organizations’ websites to learn more about their missions. 

Maine Steeples Fund

The Maine Steeples Fund supports local efforts to restore church steeples of historic, cultural, and community significance to cities and towns in Maine. The program will match funds raised locally to both assess and restore steeples.

The Fund is a collaborative effort of Maine Preservation and the Maine Steeples Fund. Maine Preservation provides technical assistance and funding recommendations and the Maine Steeples Fund administers the grant programs. This grant program typically awards four to six assessment grants and one to three restoration grants annually.

For more detailed information on this program please visit mainesteeplesfund.org.

Maine Preservation Steeples Fund engagements 2018-2020

Grants Available from Other Organizations

In addition to the grants offered through Maine Preservation, grants for rehabilitation of historic properties may be available for your project from other organizations.

Maine-Based Resources

The Maine Historic Preservation Commission (MHPC) offers several grants and assists with administering several others on behalf of the National Park Service. Contact the MHPC to learn about the following programs:

  • Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) Grants are one-to-one matching grants for architectural or archaeological survey or development or pre-development projects. Grants range between $5,000 and $24,995. Eligible properties must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places and eligible applicants are limited to state agencies, county governments, municipal governments, educational institutions, and private non-profit institutions as defined by the Internal Revenue Service.  The source of the funds is the Federal HPF and applications are generally available in the late winter.  All HPF Grants are governed by the rules and regulations in the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual (PDF).

  • Certified Local Government (CLG) Grants CLG grants are also funded by the Federal HPF and carry many of the same requirements as the HPF grants with two important distinctions: eligible applicants are limited to the CLG certified communities in Maine and a 40% match is required rather than a 50% match. Applications are generally available in January.

  • New Century Community Grants As state program funds are available, the Commission makes matching grants to eligible non-profit and community based organizations for the restoration or preservation of historic properties listed in the Register.

  • History of Equal Rights Grant Program (HER) The HER Grant Program will preserve sites related to the struggle to achieve the ideal of equal rights in America. HER Grants are administered by the National Park Service and will fund a broad range of preservation projects for historic sites. They are awarded through a competitive process and do not require a non-Federal match. 

  • African American Civil Rights Grant Program (AACR) The AACR Grant Program will document, interpret, and preserve sites telling the full story of the long struggle for African American civil rights. The National Park Service administers the grant program and will fund a broad range of preservation projects including survey and inventory, National Register nominations, oral histories and more.     

  • Maritime Heritage Grants The Grants Program is administered by the National Maritime Heritage Program (NMHP) of the National Park Service in partnership with the Maritime Administration (MarAd). It provides funding for education and preservation projects designed to preserve historic maritime resources and to increase public awareness and appreciation for the maritime heritage of the United States. All grants awarded must be matched on a 1-to-1 basis with non-Federal assets.

  • Save America’s Treasures (SAT) Grants SAT grants provide preservation and/or conservation assistance to nationally significant historic properties and collections. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and require a dollar-for-dollar, non-Federal match. The subject property must be a National Historic Landmark or listed in the Register at the national level of significance.

The Belvedere Historic Preservation and Energy Efficiency Grant Program invests in the preservation and restoration of historic buildings in Maine. Grants from this fund focus on capital investments in historic buildings that serve as civic, cultural, or economic hubs for communities. The program also supports efforts to preserve documents, artifacts, and books as well as record keeping such as digitizing collections and creating exhibits. Learn more about this grant program here.

Davis Family Foundation supports education, health, and arts and cultural initiatives. Applications are accepted four times per year.

Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust issues grants to support conservation, preservation, culture, and education in Maine. Awards are made once per year and applications are due by October 1.

The Betterment Fund focuses on education, health, conservation, and community support and prioritizes projects in the Western Mountains region of Maine. Applications are accepted two times per year.

National Resources

National Trust for Historic Preservation provides grants primarily for planning and education projects.

Partners for Sacred Places provides grants for 1) the planning and execution of urgent capital projects at historic churches that are valued for their cultural importance as well as their role in providing human services, strengthening communities, and revitalizing neighborhoods and 2) training, capacity-building and technical assistance to ensure that grant-funded projects are successfully planned and implemented.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides low interest direct loans and grants through its Community Facilities Program to develop essential community facilities, which are defined as facilities that provide an essential service to a primarily rural, local community, and do not include private, commercial, or business undertakings. Some examples include medical clinics, town halls, community centers, transitional housing, police & fire stations, museums, libraries, school, and community food hubs.

Northeast Heritage Economy Program Grants

A FOUR-STATE INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PRESERVATION

About the Program

The Northeast Heritage Economy Program (NHEP) is a collaborative initiative of Maine Preservation, the Preservation League of New York State, New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, and the Preservation Trust of Vermont. This grant program is funded with a $1,000,000 grant from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) through their Regional Forest Economy Partnership program. The funds for this program, and all NBRC programs, are available thanks to the support of the Congressional Delegations of all four NBRC states: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.

The NHEP provides grants to community-driven preservation projects to address the negative economic shift produced by the decline of the forest products industry in the rural areas of the Northern Border Regional Commission region (Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont). Studies show that historic preservation investment supports small business and good-paying labor jobs, improves property values, keeps money circulating in local economies, catalyzes additional investment, and increases community pride.

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2020 Grant Awards

Read the News Release Announcing the Awards

In April, Maine Preservation announced Maine’s Northeast Heritage Economy Progam awardees. Efforts to revitalize five historic buildings and uplift their communities’ economies in Dover-Foxcroft, Lille, Thorndike, and Belfast will get a boost thanks to the Northeast Heritage Economy Program grant awards. The funds for this program, and all NBRC programs, are available thanks to the support of the Congressional Delegations of all four NBRC states: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.

Read on to view a video from News Center Maine about the grants and see all of the awardees.

News Center Maine Coverage of the Grant Program, April 10, 2020

tHE Awardees

Center Theatre for the performing arts, Dover-Foxcroft

Center Theatre, Dover-Foxcroft

The Center Theatre, Inc. will receive $30,538 to support the creation of a second screen theatre at the Center Theatre, substantially increasing its outreach.

Learn more about the Center Theatre for the Perfoming Arts.

The Center Theatre’s executive director, Patrick Myers, talks about how they’ll use their grant to grow their community impact in the short video below.

Musée CUlturel du Mont-Carmel, Lille

Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel, Lille

L’Association Culturelle et Historique du Mont-Carmel will receive $78,480 for restoration of frescoed plaster and repairing the roof and sills of the Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel. The Musée is on Maine Preservation’s Most Endangered Historic Places list as an especially important historic building. This work will provide for expanded visitation and use of the building.

Learn more about the Musée Culturel du Mont-Carmel.

The team provides a quick overview of their project below.

The Commons at Central Hall, Dover-Foxcroft

The Commons at Central Hall, Dover-Foxcroft

The Maine Highlands Senior Center will receive $17,582 to assist in its build out of the first floor of The Commons at Central Hall allowing it to expand its services to the community.

Learn more about The Commons at Central Hall.

The Farwell Project, Thorndike

The Farwell Project, Thorndike

The Farwell Project, Thorndike

Timelines Community, Inc. (Thorndike), will receive $80,000 for rehabilitation, including foundation, drainage, sills, joists, subflooring, and chimney work, in order to reopen the Thorndike Village General Store as a multi-use facility.

Learn more about the Farwell Project.

The Belfast Maskers, Belfast

Belfast Maskers Theatre, Belfast

The Belfast Maskers will receive $23,400 for heating and cooling and bathroom improvements at the former First Universalist Church, which will expand the use of its theatre facility throughout the year.

Learn more about the Belfast Maskers.