The Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation (DAHP) recently announced that applications to request funding through the Heritage Barn Rehabilitation Grant Program are available. Part of the state’s Heritage Barn Preservation Initiative established in 2007, the grant program assists with rehabilitation projects designed to stabilize and preserve designated Heritage Barns across the state.

Last year, the Heritage Barn Grant Program provided grant assistance to 19 Heritage Barns throughout Washington.

“Seeing these important agricultural buildings brought back to viability through the grant program has been a tremendous experience,” said Jerri Honeyford, Chair of the Barn Advisory Committee that oversees the initiative, in a statement released today. “Without the vital funding provided through the grant program, many of these structures would be lost forever.”

Rehabilitation grants are awarded through a competitive application process: in 2008, the Barn Advisory Committee received over 100 grant applications. Criteria for funding include, but are not limited to, the historical significance of the barn, urgency of needed repairs, and provision for long-term preservation. Priority is given to barns that remain in agricultural use.

“Through the Heritage Barn Preservation Initiative, Washington State has taken a leading role in actively identifying, documenting, and preserving historic barns,” noted DAHP Director Dr. Allyson Brooks. “These efforts have resulted in new data providing important insights to our state’s agricultural heritage.”

Historic agricultural structures listed in the Heritage Barn Register, the Washington Heritage Register, or the National Register of Historic Places are eligible to apply for grant funds. To be eligible for listing in the Heritage Barn Register, barns must be over 50 years old and retain a significant degree of historic integrity. All nomination/application materials related to the Heritage Barn Register and the Heritage Barn Rehabilitation Grant Program can be downloaded from DAHP’s Web site at http://www.dahp.wa.gov . Grant applications are due on Weds., Nov. 4, with grant awards slated to be announced in January 2010.