Category Archives: Funding Resources & Grants

Community Heritage Grant Program

Snohomish County’s Community Heritage Program is currently accepting applications from public and nonprofit agencies for projects that develop and promote heritage preservation in the county.  Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on April 4, 2011

By providing matching funds on a competitive basis, the Community Heritage Program supports projects that promote the public’s access to county history. Funding is available for professional development, public education, capital improvements or collections enhancement by application for Heritage Grant (pdf).
Grant Guidelines (pdf)

Historic Preservation Commissions need you!

Hi All,
Please read and/or forward the information below from the website of the Snohomish County Historic Preservation Commission.  I’d like to encourage volunteers to apply to become Commissioners.  It is a way to add your voice to the dialog of how important it is to preserve the County’s historic places that still have decades of productive use as historic buildings, community, business and residential spaces.  This includes public works as well – bridges and roadway and agricultural landscapes.   There are many places, buildings and structures that can be re-purposed with thoughtful and creative thinking, preserving their historical character, without building out into our farmlands and creating more costly infrastructure.

Oso Elementary School

Oso Elementary School

The Commission serves as the public voice to the County Council and must take a proactive role.  It helps landowners and historic structure owners recognize the value of their historic properties and now also decides on the application of the Community Heritage Program – recipients of County grants that fund heritage programs throughout the County.  Recent examples include the Granite Falls Historical Mapping Project and the Western Heritage Center. If you live in a City that has its own Commission – support their work as well – (Edmonds, Snohomish, Everett)

Please consider adding your voice to this group and contact Wendy Becker (see the information below.)
Karen Prasse
League of Snohomish County Heritage Organizations

Historic Preservation Commission

Snohomish County values its historic buildings, sites, structures and objects.  Through the Historic Preservation Commission, Snohomish County seeks to identify, preserve and protect significant historic and archaeological properties that celebrates the rich history of Snohomish County. The Historic Preservation Commission offers a number of services to support preservation efforts of these irreplaceable county assets:

  • A local register of historic places
  • Special Valuation Tax incentives for historic building rehabilitation
  • Educational resources and contacts
  • A guide to the three-tiered register system:

For more information, please contact:

Wendy Becker, Economic and Cultural Development Officer

3000 Rockefeller  MS 411
Everett, WA 98201
425.388.3186

Meeting times and details:
The Historic Preservation Commission meets at 7p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month. The meetings are open to the public.

6th Floor Conference Room 6A02
Snohomish County Administration Building East
3000 Rockefeller Ave.  Downtown Everett
Directions to the Meeting

Recruiting members to represent Council Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. The Commission is now accepting applications for new members.  Please contact Wendy Becker (425) 388-3186 for additional information.

Local history museums are like Icebergs

Our Historical Society Museums and Genealogical societies are our communities scrapbooks and antique collections – most of what is there is being preserved and in storage waiting for the appropriate exhibit or program to be featured. And managing all of this is complicated.

Congratulations to the Monroe Historical Society for winning the grant for a Museum assessment program. Running a local history museum is hard work. There are many rewards but the obligations can be overwhelming for volunteers and most of our small museums and genealogical groups are totally operated by unpaid history lovers who want to research and share. But there are difficult questions about what to keep for collections and what to say no to, finding volunteers to help keep our collections open, planning the next fresh new exhibit and the endless inventorying and cataloging, not to mention digitizing, publicity, programming…. Sometimes its just nice to get some outside input to help us focus on the big picture as well as the fun of the history. The Monroe museum has a great wealth of historic materials and newly written history on their website to build on for a new museum. Best of luck to them! http://monroehistoricalsociety.org/

The applications for next year’s round are on Association of American Museums Museum Assessment Program – FY 2010 Deadline: February 16, 2010

For conservation assessment grants see –

http://www.heritagepreservation.org/CAP/

Other grants –

National Endowment for the Humanities List of Grant programs

IMLS American Heritage Preservation Program

Karen Prasse
kprasse@yahoo.com
Stanwood Area Historical Society Volunteer www.sahs-fncc.org
& President, League of Snohomish County Heritage Organizations
www.snocoheritage.org