Organizers behind “Partners in Preservation,” a program sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express, announced today that Tacoma’s Spanish Steps (pictured) is one of 25 historic places in the Puget Sound region eligible for $1 million in preservation grants.

The Spanish Steps could receive $125,000.

The grant would be used to restore and rehabilitate the landscaping around the steps, using cutting edge sustainable practices while ensuring historic compatibility. This is a component of a larger project currently underway to restore the Spanish Steps to their former glory, as the adjacent Elks Temple is renovated.

The Spanish Steps, in association with the adjacent Elks Building, is one of four pivotal structures defining the boundaries of the Old City Hall Historic District. The steps, constructed concurrently in 1915 with the Elks Temple in the Beaux Arts manner, are modeled after the Scalinata di Spagna in Rome, and express the character of the classical buildings clustered at the north end of downtown.

Other Pierce County sites include Skansie Brothers Net Shed, Titlow Park Lodge, Johnson Farm (Anderson Island Historical Society), and Garfield Hall (Orting Soldiers Home).

Launched in 2006, Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, pledged $5.5 million over a five-year period toward preserving historic places throughout the United States. American Express has already allocated $2.4 million in preservation grants, which has allowed recipients to make significant progress in achieving their preservation goals.

In this partnership, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United States and to preserve America’s historic and cultural landmarks. The program also seeks to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic places at the heart of their communities.

The 25 sites are asking for the public’s vote at http://www.partnersinpreservation.com until May 12. Winners of the voting contest will be guaranteed funding for critical preservation projects.

For a complete list of the 25 sites, visit http://www.preservationnation.org/partners-in-preservation/seattle/grant-nominees.html . For more information, visit http://www.tacomaculture.org/steps.asp .

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For earlier Tacoma Daily Index coverage of the Spanish Steps, click here:

Tacoma moves closer to Spanish Steps rehab (04/01/10) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1744240&more=0

The Notes of Spanish Steps (09/30/09) — http://tacomadailyindex.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=88&cat=23&id=1633663&more=0 and http://i.feedtacoma.com/TDI-Reporters-Notebook/notes-spanish-steps/

Momentum continues for Spanish Steps rehabilitation (07/27/07) — http://wahmee.com/tdi_spanish_steps_rehab.pdf