Best Practices
Agricultural Building Grants
State By State Index
A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
Calfornia | Colorado | Connecticut |
Maine | Marshall Islands | Maryland | Massachusetts | Michigan | Micronesia | Minnesota | Mississippi | Missouri | Montana
Click here for contact information
During the 2006 legislative session, the Maryland Barn Preservation Fund was created with the passage of House Bill 699. This bill established a ten-member “Maryland Advisory Committee on Historic Agricultural Structure Preservation” chaired by the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Planning. The bill also created the “Maryland Barn Preservation Fund” in the Department of Planning from which grants will be made to preserve historic barns and agricultural structures in the state.
To date, no funds have been appropriated in the state budget to the Maryland Barn Preservation Fund and no other money from any other source has been provided for the benefit of the Fund. Consequently, there has been no activity of the Fund or the Advisory Committee. It has yet to be determined how our agency would administer these funds (e.g. eligible applicants, easement requirements, etc.) should they become available as the language of the bill was not particularly clear – so am enjoying others’ responses.
Click here for contact information
Of the two primary state-funded grant programs in Mississippi, the Community Heritage Preservation Grant Program, which focuses on historic schools and courthouses and CLG projects, requires that applicants be units of government or not-for-profit organizations. The other grant program, the Mississippi Landmark Grant Program, can be used to restore any designated "Mississippi Landmark" property, regardless of ownership.
In practice, however, our agency's Board of Trustees is reluctant to spend much public money on private property, so only a couple of privately owned "Mississippi Landmarks" have ever received funding through the program. In order to qualify for funding through either program, the historic property must first be a designated "Mississippi Landmark," pursuant to our State Antiquities Law, which places a preservation easement on the property for perpetuity.
Click here for contact information
In Montana we offer reimbursement grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 for the rehab of rural ag-related buildings. Of course work must meet the Standards and we attach a five-year easement to the building that receives the funding. Funding is open to all non-government entities with a priority on those properties already listed in the Register.
Our pot of money varies from year to year, but we typically pick three projects for funding. In some years we’ve been able to pay for nominations and brick and mortar work if the property is exceptional. States that base an applicant’s eligibility for the grant on their property’s NR status might consider helping owners of truly exceptional properties find funding for NR nominations.
Our program has worked well in terms of saving buildings and raising preservation’s profile around the state. The one major drawback is that we cannot make reimbursements for work done prior to July 1, the start of the state’s fiscal year. This date being the midpoint of Montana’s short construction season puts grant recipients in a pinch and adds complexity to projects that are already costly and complex.
Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico |
New York | North Carolina | North Dakota | Northern Mariana Islands
Click here for contact information
Oklahoma has no such grants program.
Rhode Island
Click here for contact information
Though it is not specific to ag buildings, South Dakota has a grant program for any SD property on the National Register, including private and public properties. Our office gets $100,000 every year from gaming revenues from Deadwood, SD that we give out in two cycles of $50,000. The grants must be matched at least dollar for dollar. The grants generally go to public buildings because our ranking guidelines give more points to public properties than private. But private properties on the National Register are eligible to apply and several have received grants as well, including agricultural properties. Grant recipients must file an eight-year preservation covenant before they can receive the grant. SHPO staff review all the applications to ensure they meet the Standards and then our Board of Trustees approves the awards. In general, the program works fine. Obviously, like everyone, we could use more money for the fund as we are only able to fund about 15-20% of what is requested each year.
If you want some more details on our Deadwood Fund grant program, you can go to our website at: http://www.sdhistory.org/HP/hp_deadwfg.htm .
Tennessee | Texas
Click here for contact information
We administer a state grants program for which any resource type might be eligible if individually listed or contributing in a listed district. However, private citizens are not eligible to receive state grants; the property would have to be owned and/or operated by a local government or non-profit organization serving as the recipient of the funds. Easements are required if grant funds of more than $40,000 are awarded in a four year period. Work must conform with the standards per our review and approval. Other public interest/accountability requirements include competitive procurement procedures, site open to the public a certain number of days, match, etc. The biggest problem is the awards process; although we review applications and provide guidance to the appropriations committees, essentially awards are made however they wish in the budget bill. This means that it can be more about "pork" and politics and less about relative need, threat and objective public benefit, and winners do tend to be disproportionately those sites in districts with powerful legislators. And, a consequence is that legislators tend not to see the program as a program but as an "extra" when budgets get tight, so the number of grants and dollars vary hugely from year to year -- like 300 plus grants totally $50 million plus down to nothing. This is unfortunate for all sites who would welcome a greater degree of stability. Needless to say it means that our staffing requirements are subject to unworkable fluctuations that don't get factored in as the budget is finalized.
Click here for contact information
West Virginia has a state development grant program. We have funded barns if they are listed (usually contributing buildings). Private property owners are eligible. Covenants are required with the duration depending on amount of grant award. Work must meet the Standards and is reviewed by grant staff and monitors. We received approximately $2.7 million in request this year and had only about $500,000 to give away.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
For corrections or comments on the website please contact Kristen Harbeson at harbeson@sso.org
