2023 Connecticut Preservation Grants Awarded
POMFRET, Connecticut
15 grant recipients announced
The 1772 Foundation, partnering for a thirteenth year with Preservation Connecticut (formerly the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation), awarded historic preservation one-for-one matching grants totaling $134,000 to fifteen private nonprofit organizations maintaining historic sites in Connecticut. The grants ranged in amount from $3,500 to the grant maximum of $10,000, with eleven organizations receiving the latter amount.
Grants were provided for exterior work: painting; surface restoration; fire detection/security systems; repairs to/restoration of chimneys, porches, roofs, and windows; repairs to foundations and sills; and masonry repointing. Projects were vetted by Preservation Connecticut circuit riders and other staff with an in-depth knowledge of the needs of Connecticut's heritage organizations. Each grantee was required to have matching funds for its project.
According to Jane Montanaro, executive director of Preservation Connecticut, “Despite the additional challenges facing applicants during the pandemic, Preservation Connecticut received many thoughtfully prepared applications for the matching grant program. The need for the program among organizations that manage historic sites remains urgent. We echo the collective gratitude of these property stewards in thanking The 1772 Foundation for its generous support and commitment to our state’s architectural heritage.”
President of The 1772 Foundation Margaret Waldock commented on the importance of these grants to the preservation community. “With these grants, The 1772 Foundation continues its investment in preservation efforts that protect assets of community importance. While the individual grants may seem small, we have found they leverage considerable local resources and opportunities — community-provided matching dollars, support for local businesses and tradespeople, and the longterm power of incremental, small-scale capital investments in roofs, windows, and structural improvements that protect and maintain the value of assets over time.”
Grant recipients were Adam Stanton House (Clinton), Ball & Sockets Arts (Cheshire), Branford Land Trust (Branford), Gaylord Hospital (Wallingford), The Madison Historical Society (Madison), Morris Historical Society (Morris), Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic), New Milford Historical Society & Museum (New Milford), Newtown Historical Society (Newtown), Norwich Arts Center (Norwich), Old Saybrook Historical Society (Old Saybrook), Steep Rock Association (Washington), Thompson Historical Society (Thompson), Windham Free Library Association, and Windham Preservation Inc. (both Windham). Grants were also awarded in each of the other five New England states and in Georgia.