Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program
The Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program promotes the acquisition, restoration, and rehabilitation of historic properties in Maryland. Eligible properties are limited to those which are listed in or determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as a contributing structure within a district. The program typically receives an annual appropriation of $600,000 for grants per year.
Workshops
Register Now for Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program Webinars
Attend a webinar to learn about the application process, conveying an easement, and more! Webinars are free, but we ask that you please register. Registration links can be found in the descriptions below.
Thursday, November 5, 2020 - 10:30am –12:00pm
Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program: General Overview
Learn about eligibility of applicant organizations, properties, and projects; documentation required for the application; selection criteria, and more.
Friday, November 13, 2020 - 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program: Application Workshop
This interactive session will use sample application answers to offer tips for approaching your preservation project and grant application. Attendees are encouraged to bring project-specific questions.
Monday, November 16, 2020 - 10:30am – 12:00pm
Preservation Easement Q&A
Learn about the process involved in conveying a preservation easement to MHT and how the easement fits into grant project timelines. This session is intended primarily as a Q&A webinar for applicants whose properties do not yet have a preservation easement through MHT.
Thursday, November 19, 2020 - 1:30pm – 3:00pm
Religious Sites Q&A
Grant projects involving religious sites have special requirements and considerations for eligible work, organizational documents, and approaches to public benefit. MHT grants staff are partnering with representatives from Partners for Sacred Spaces to share tips and resources for enhancing your preservation and history outreach impact. Attendees are encouraged to share their own preservation successes and network at the end of the session.
Tuesday, January 19, 2021 - 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program: General Overview
Learn about eligibility of applicant organizations, properties, and projects; documentation required for the application; selection criteria, and more.
Register here: https://forms.gle/Hk1biqFkU7Lka7tZ7
Wednesday, January 27, 2021 - 10:30am - 12:00pm
Match Requirements Q&A
Learn about eligible matching funds and requirements for documenting match. Local governments, businesses, and individuals must provide match; non-profit applicants are not required to provide match.
Register here: https://forms.gle/WCFbssv4yQxRyvTC8
Eligible Applicants
The Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 to nonprofits, local governments, businesses, and individuals for eligible projects. All applicants except for nonprofit organizations are required to provide a dollar-for-dollar match.
State and federal government entities are eligible to apply as nonprofits; however, projects involving state and federally owned properties cannot comply with the requirement to convey a preservation easement to MHT and therefore are not expected to rank highly enough for funding.
Eligible Projects
Applicants may apply for the following types of capital projects:
- Acquisition
- Rehabilitation or restoration
- Predevelopment costs such as studies, surveys, plans and specifications, and architectural, engineering, or other special services directly related to pre-construction work for a capital project (predevelopment costs are only eligible costs for nonprofit organizations and local government applicants)
Work, or a discrete phase of work, that is already underway or completed is not eligible for grant funding. A complete list of eligible and ineligible costs is available in the grant guidelines.
Eligible Properties
All capital projects must benefit a property that is eligible for or listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Special qualifying criteria are outlined below.
- Structures used for religious purposes are generally eligible for assistance for exterior work only and are reviewed for eligibility on a case by case basis. Spaces used primarily for religious purposes or elements bearing religious imagery are not eligible for funding.
- Cemeteries may be eligible for assistance. In these cases, the applicant must make a compelling case for the significance of the cemetery.
The permission of the property owner to undertake the project must be secured in writing and provided as part of the grant application.
Projects are subject to MHT review and must comply with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Treatment of Historic Properties (36 CFR 68), and a preservation easement on the assisted property must be conveyed to MHT. For more information, visit the Easements page.
Other Requirements
Additional information regarding evaluation criteria and grantees’ responsibilities, including competitive procurement of services, MHT approval of proposed work, reporting, etc. is provided in the grant guidelines and grants and loans manual. Additional information about preservation easements is available on our Easements page.
For general information about the Historic Preservation Capital Grants program or to check the status of your project, contact Barbara Fisher at barbara.fisher@maryland.gov or (410) 697-9574.