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Grants

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 authorizes the National Park Service to grant funds allocated by Congress from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to States for historic preservation activities. In turn, the States may subgrant funds to eligible recipients in order for other agencies or institutions to conduct allowable activities on its behalf.  Due to funding levels over the past several years, the Maine Historic Preservation Commission has had to limit its HPF subgrants to small public education projects and the support of Certified Local Governments.

The availability of HPF grant funds and application deadlines will be announced through published legal notices and a posting on this website.

New Century Preservation Grants

April 2008 Funding Update

The Commission will be awarding matching grants through the New Century Community Program for the restoration of historic buildings and structures. Eligible projects are those that involve the restoration of buildings or structures that are listed in or that are scheduled to be nominated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and that are owned by public agencies or non-profit institutions.

Projects are rated by the Commission using the following criteria:

  • How threatened is the property?
  • Is the property of national, state, or local significance?
  • How likely is the applicant to complete the project by December 31, 2010?
  • What is the level of public benefit that will result from the project?
  • Does the project contribute to the widest possible geographical distribution of grants statewide?

The deadline for application is June 6, 2008.

Policy on Letters of Support

Grant making institutions and agencies often require that applications include letters of support from the State Historic Preservation Officer. The Commission will provide such letters for projects it deems worthy, or will comment on a proposed project’s effect under the following conditions: 1) the request shall be made, preferably by email, at least 15 days before the application deadline; 2) the applicant shall provide a copy of the grant application that explains the grant request and scope of work; 3) the applicant shall furnish a draft letter of endorsement that the Commission may modify as it deems appropriate; 4) the applicant shall indicate to whom the letter should be sent; and 5) the comment deadline shall be stated in the request.

Procedure for Save America’s Treasures Grants

If an applicant is seeking an endorsement of a grant request to the Save America’s Treasures program, and the property for which the grant is intended is a designated National Historic Landmark, or is presently listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the national level of significance, the procedure described above shall be observed.

If the property is not presently recognized as an NHL or is not listed in the Register at the national level of significance, consultation with the Commission should be initiated at least 90 days prior to the application deadline. This time frame is necessary for the Commission to issue a preliminary opinion as to whether the property should be acknowledged as having a national level of significance, and if we do, to permit the applicant to develop a written statement in accordance with National Register guidelines and bulletins that justifies this change to the property’s status. Please be advised, however, that any such change is ultimately subject to the approval of the Keeper of the Register. When the Commission is satisfied with the documentation provided by the applicant, the procedure described above shall be observed.