Grant funding available for local heritage barns

The Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation announced this week that applications to request funding through the Heritage Barn Rehabilitation Grant Program are available. Part of the state’s Heritage Barn Preservation Initiative established in 2007, the grant program assists with rehabilitation projects designed to stabilize and preserve designated Heritage Barns across the state.

Since the program’s inception, Heritage Barn Grant funding has provided assistance to 65 Heritage Barns throughout Washington. “Because of the widespread support among barn owners and admirers alike, this program will continue to assist with important barn rehabilitation projects,” said Jerri Honeyford, Chair of the Barn Advisory Committee that oversees the initiative. “These wonderful structures represent Washington’s agricultural legacy and we applaud all those committed to seeing this aspect of our state’s heritage live on.”

Rehabilitation grants are awarded through a competitive application process: in four funding rounds, the Barn Advisory Committee has reviewed over three hundred ten grant applications. Criteria for funding include, but are not limited to, the historical significance of the barn, urgency of needed repairs, and provision for long-term preservation. Priority is given to barns that remain in agricultural use.

“With over 600 barns presently included in the Heritage Barn Register, the program has succeeded in highlighting the impact agriculture continues to have in shaping the economic, social and cultural development of Washington,” said Dr. Allyson Brooks, director of the State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation. “Our agency is thrilled to once again offer support to barn owners committed to carrying this legacy into the future.”

Historic agricultural structures listed in the Heritage Barn Register, the Washington Heritage Register, or the National Register of Historic Places are eligible to receive grant funds. To be eligible for listing in the Heritage Barn Register, barns must be over 50 years old and retain a significant degree of historic integrity. All nomination/application materials related to the Heritage Barn Register and the Heritage Barn Rehabilitation Grant Program can be downloaded from the Washington State Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation Web site. Barn owners with questions about the program are encouraged to contact Chris Moore at (206) 624-9449 or via e-mail at cmoore@preservewa.org.Grant applications are due on Weds., Oct. 21, with grant awards slated to be announced in early 2016.

The Scholz Farm in Orting dates back to 1931 and is one of many heritage barns in Pierce County that was nominated to Washington state's register of heritage barns. (IMAGE COURTESY WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION) — The Scholz Farm in Orting dates back to 1931 and is one of many heritage barns in Pierce County that was nominated to Washington state’s register of heritage barns. (IMAGE COURTESY WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION)

To read the Tacoma Daily Index‘s complete and comprehensive coverage of heritage barns in Tacoma and Pierce County, click on the following links: