The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is pleased to announce the newest recipients of Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants, 56 large grants (over $10,000) totaling $6,193,687 in 19 counties.
Large grants are awarded annually to help nonprofits, educational organizations, government units and federally recognized tribes to preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on December 9, 2021.
Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.
Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage large grant recipients
Grants are from fiscal year 2022 Legacy appropriations and are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and awarded according to program guidelines and criteria, as well as professional standards.
• Afton Historical Society and Museum, Afton, $62,020 – To hire qualified technicians to install a fire suppression system in the Afton Historical Society’s collections storage area.
• Aitkin County Historical Society, Aitkin, $38,000 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Northern Pacific Depot, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Brown County, New Ulm, $153,736 – To hire qualified professionals to restore stone and masonry elements and windows on the New Ulm Post Office, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Central Presbyterian Church/Presbyterian Church (USA), St. Paul, $120,000 – To hire qualified professionals to stabilize building elements on Central Presbyterian Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Centro Tyrone Guzman, Minneapolis, $32,200 – To document in 20-30 oral history interviews the history of immigrant Latine elders in the Minneapolis area.
• Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, St. Paul, $215,182 – To hire qualified professionals to restore building features on Charles Thompson Memorial Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Afton, Afton, $147,220 – To hire qualified conservators and structural engineers to restore a significant wall mural in the museum’s collections.
• City of Brainerd, Brainerd, $162,043 – To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof and do additional restoration on the City of Brainerd Water Tower, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Browns Valley, Browns Valley, $32,788 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Carnegie Library, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Clements, Clements, $40,000 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the State Bank of Clements, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Delano, Delano, $62,800 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Delano Village Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Duluth, Duluth, $240,000 – To hire qualified professionals to repair the windows on the St. Louis County Jail, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Duluth, Duluth, $130,100 – To design, produce, and install historical markers for the Waabizheshikana Marten Interpretive Trail in Duluth.
• City of Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie, $103,645 – To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on the J. R. Cummins House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Granite Falls, Granite Falls, $21,000 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Andrew J. Volstead House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Henning, Henning, $118,769 – To hire qualified professionals to repair roof elements on Trinity Lutheran Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Little Falls, Little Falls, $32,000 – To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for the City of Little Falls.
• City of Madison, Madison, $120,562 – To hire qualified professionals to repair the roof and other elements on the City of Madison City Hall and Opera House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Plymouth, Plymouth, $35,000 – To provide appropriate storage materials and shelving for museum collections.
• City of St. Paul (Parks and Recreation), St. Paul, $136,167 – To hire a qualified conservator and other professionals to restore five cast bronze Paul Manship sculptures in Cochran Park in St. Paul’s historic public art collection.
• City of Walters, Walters, $191,116 – To hire qualified professionals to restore and stabilize the Walters Jail, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• City of Wayzata, Wayzata, $50,000 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Wayzata Section House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Dakota County, Hastings, $65,000 – To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for Spring Lake Park Reserve in Dakota County.
• Dodge County Historical Society, Mantorville, $31,236 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Wasioja School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Fairmont Opera House, Inc., Fairmont, $125,000 – To hire qualified professionals to conduct a structural engineering assessment for the Fairmont Opera House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Faribault County Historical Society, Blue Earth, $162,300 –
To hire qualified professionals to restore and stabilize the Church of the Good Shepherd, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• First Congregational Church of Minnesota – United Church of Christ, Minneapolis, $148,000 – To hire qualified professionals to restore the interior fabric of the First Congregational Church of Minnesota – United Church of Christ, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• First Congregational Church of Winona, Winona, $44,500 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of First Congregational Church of Winona, UCC, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Helga Township, Bemidji, $213,611 – To hire qualified professionals to conduct interior repairs on Consolidated School District No. 22, Nary School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, $49,690 – To provide better organization of the library’s archival collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.
• Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in Minnesota, St. Paul, $39,439 – To document in 15 oral history interviews the history of first- and second-generation Romanian immigrants to Minnesota.
• Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $50,000 – To hire qualified consultants to update and install an exhibit for the 40th anniversary of the 1982 Hjemkomst Voyage.
• Hubbard County, Park Rapids, $237,329 – To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on the Hubbard County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Independent School District #701, Hibbing, $43,247 – To hire a qualified conservator to restore a 1913 mural in Hibbing High School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Lake County Historical Society, Two Harbors, $75,000 – To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve Two Harbors Light Station, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Lower Phalen Creek Project, St. Paul, $118,000 – To hire a qualified consultant firm to write an exhibit schematic design plan for the Wakán Tipi Center in St. Paul.
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (Division of Fish and Wildlife), St. Paul, $51,000 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Norris CCC Camp, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Minnesota Special Education Leaders Foundation (MNSELF), Lake Elmo, $23,449 – To hire qualified professionals to edit a manuscript on the history of education for children with disabilities in Minnesota.
• Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $118,500 – To hire a qualified consulting firm to write an exhibit plan for an upcoming exhibit on immigration in Nobles County.
• Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, $86,570 – To digitize a collection of archival materials from the 1925 Norse-American Centennial, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.
• Olmsted County Historical Society, Rochester, $237,265 – To hire qualified professionals to do restoration and repairs on the George Stoppel Farmstead, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Otter Tail County, Underwood, $139,860 – To hire qualified professionals to repair building elements on the Phelps Mill, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Pioneer Public Television, Appleton, $76,805 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Appleton City Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $22,000 – To hire a qualified firm to transcribe 217 interviews and programs from Tellstar News, founded in St. Paul by Readus Fletcher in 1986.
• Reclaim Community, Jasper, $173,026 – To hire qualified professionals to reconstruct and repair masonry at Bauman Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Regents of the University of Minnesota (Humphrey School of Public Affairs), Minneapolis, $102,768 – To develop an online database to hold biographical information on candidates from state and federal elections throughout Minnesota’s history.
• Rice County Historical Society, Faribault, $85,000 – To hire qualified professionals to reinforce roof joists and seal the building envelope on the Alexander Faribault House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Sacred Heart Area Historical Society, Sacred Heart, $290,700 – To hire qualified professionals to repair the Hotel Sacred Heart, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• San Francisco Township, Carver, $175,133 – To hire qualified professionals to stabilize and repair the District No. 22 School, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, $139,150 – To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of Dakota collections at the Science Museum of Minnesota and coordinate tribal consultations.
• Somali Artifact and Cultural Museum, Minneapolis, $42,774 – To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.
• St. Olaf College, Northfield, $110,676 – To provide better organization of St. Olaf College’s archival collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.
• The Artist Sanctuary, Red Wing, $26,300 – To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mission Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Three Rivers Park District, Plymouth, $116,010 – To hire qualified professionals to repair the foundation on Noerenberg Estate Barn, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Tower-Soudan Historical Society, Tower, $285,618 – To hire qualified professionals to repair exterior masonry and other features on the Tower Fire Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
• Waterford Township, Northfield, $244,383 – To hire qualified professionals to repair Bridge L3275, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants
The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $33.085 million for the 2022-2023 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (“Legacy”) Grants: $5,892,000 for FY2022 and $7,000,000 for FY2023.
Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Large grants of more than $10,000 are offered once a year. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadlines are April 8 and July 8, 2022. All grants are administered through a competitive process using review criteria and professional standards.
For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.
The Minnesota Historical Society is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history. Visit us at mnhs.org.
The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partner: Explore Minnesota Tourism.
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