The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation announced Tuesday the Ezra Meeker Historical Society in Puyallup will receive a Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund grant in the amount of $2,000 to help rehabilitate dining room windows at the National Register-listed Meeker Mansion. Since 1998, the Fund has awarded 79 projects totaling over $67,000 in funding to local historic preservation organizations and advocates engaged in the work of preserving Washington’s cultural heritage. While priority is given to bricks and mortar rehabilitation of historic resources, eligible projects have also included preservation planning and interpretation of important historic resources around the state.
Grants will also be awarded to the following organizations in the State of Washington:
- Gig Harbor Boatshop / $1,000 to repair and restore the hull of Thunderbird #2, a racing sailboat designed and manufactured in Gig Harbor;
- The City of Ellensburg / $2,000 to repair the roof of the Northern Pacific Railway Depot in downtown Ellensburg, listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
- The City of Hoquiam / $1,500 to help restore the former Senior Center Building, a project designed to serve as a catalyst for additional downtown revitalization;
- Fort Nisqually Foundation / $500 to develop architectural drawings for the circa 1850 National Historic Landmark Granary at Fort Nisqually;
- Historic Architecture Development Corporation in Walla Walla / $1,000 to assist with window rehabilitation on the National Register-lisetd Kirkman House in Walla Wall;
- Knappton Cove Heritage Center in Naselle / $1,000 to replace porches and steps at the US Columbia River Quarantine Station Hospital, a National Register listed resource along the Columbia River at Knappton Cove;
- Maryhill Museum of Art / $500 to develop a conditions assessment of the exterior stucco on the National Register-listed Maryhill Museum;
- Northwest Schooner Society / $500 to purchase materials for the reconstruction of the landing dock at the Burrows Island Light Station.
Funding for the grant program is obtained from private donations to the Trust with the goal of providing a minimum of $6,000 in grant funding per year. Given the tremendous need demonstrated statewide for funding of heritage related projects, in 2011 the Washington Trust committed to distributing $10,000 in grant funds. “While still modest in scope, increasing the threshold of grant funds available was a priority for us in 2011,” said Kris Bassett, committee chair of the Trusts grant fund. “With cuts to heritage at the state level, it is more important than ever that local communities have other options available to assist with funding projects that keep our history alive and relevant.”
The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is a statewide, tax exempt 501(c) 3 non- profit organization founded in 1976 to safeguard Washington’s historic places through advocacy, education, collaboration and stewardship. For more information, visit wa-trust.org or call (206) 624-9449.
