Indiana Historical Society awards heritage grants

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – The Indiana Historical Society is providing more than 30 Heritage Support Grants totaling more than $2.5 million. The IHS says the grants will support historical organizations throughout the state over the next five years.

The grants serve the state’s local, county and regional historical societies, museums and sites. IHS estimates more than 900 Indiana organizations hold collections totaling more than 20 million historical objects.

“We realize many smaller organizations in Indiana face challenges, such as access to resources, funding and training,” said IHS President Jody Blankenship. “The Heritage Support Grants program offers not just financial resources, but also fundraising education workshops, tailored coaching and opportunities to experience serving on award selection panels.”

The grant recipients include:

Heritage Support Grants 2.0 – Project Grant, Cycle A Award Summaries

• Adams County Historical Society, Adams County – $35,000 to aid in the restoration of the Charles A. Dugan Mansion.
• Bartholomew County Historical Society, Bartholomew County – $10,000 to fund a historic structures report for the Henry Breeding Farm farmhouse.
• Cedar Lake Historical Association, Lake County – $47,600 to reinterpret several rooms in its Lake County museum.
• Clark County Museum Inc., Clark County – $32,500 to aid in the restoration of the Thomas Jefferson Howard House in Jeffersonville.
• Dubois County Museum, Dubois County – $10,000 to fund a traveling exhibit pilot program.
• Freetown Village, Marion County – $35,000 to develop an African American history and culture educational program.
• Friends of Lincoln Pioneer Village & Museum Inc., Spencer County – $8,000 to replace the roof of its entrance cabin.
• Historic Eleutherian College, Jefferson County – $42,000 to restore the roof of its building.
• Hoosier Heartland Trolley Co., Marion County – $8,000 for the operational restoration of interurban No. 429.
• Indiana Geographic Information Council Inc., Marion County – $50,000 to fund an online land survey database.
• Indiana Medical History Museum, Marion County – $15,000 to organize and store its archival collection using archival quality materials, secure shelves and cabinets.
• Indiana State Police Alliance, Marion County – $43,746 to create a Motor Carrier Inspectors exhibit.
• International Circus Hall of Fame, Miami County – $50,000 to repair the roof of its 1922 American Circus Corporation winter quarter barn.
• Jay County Historical Society Inc., Jay County – $14,441 to replace its computer system, including audio and visual equipment.
• Martin County Historical Society, Martin County – $10,000 to fund a historic structures report.
• Perry County Museum, Perry County – $10,000 to repair building soffits and fund a building assessment.
• Switzerland County Historical Society Inc., Switzerland County – $19,226 to conserve the Nelson Burley collection and develop an exhibit interpreting the pre-contact Native American culture of the region.
• Tipton County Historical Society, Tipton County – $32,072 to digitize their photography collection.
• Vigo County Historical Society, Vigo County – $10,000 to fund a feasibility study for repairing the roof on the 1895 Ehrmann Manufacturing Co. building and home of the History Center of Vigo County.
• Wabash County Historical Museum, Wabash County – $7,500 to install PastPerfect Online access panels in the museum.
• War Veterans Memorial Shrine of American History Inc., Allen County – $7,000 to fund a collections assessment study.

Heritage Support Grants 2.0 – Mini Grant, Cycle A Award Summaries

• Friends of the National New York Central Railroad Museum, Elkhart County – $4,606 to organize and store their collection.
• International Circus Hall of Fame, Miami County – $4,950 to update their computer system and purchase collections management software and archival storage materials.
• Jackson County History Center, Jackson County – $4,999 to replace the computer system for the Heller Museum & Genealogical Research Library.
• Kikthawenund Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Madison County, The Kikthawenund Chapter, NSDAR – $1,000 to organize and store their archival collection.
• Marshall County Historical Society Inc., Marshall County – $4,775.08 to conserve county government books and ledgers dating from the mid-19th century.
• Milan 54 Inc., Ripley County – $4,999 to purchase a computer system and additional security for the museum.
• Seymour Museum Inc., Jackson County – $4,999 to repair exhibit room walls in the Old Federal Building.
• Shelby County Historical Society, Shelby County – $4,827 to fund the purchase of digitization equipment.
• Starke County Historical Society Inc., Starke County – $4,312 to purchase a computer system and collections management software.
• The Beverly Shores Depot Museum and Art Gallery, Porter County – $2,350 to fund scanning services to digitize materials held in the organization’s collections.
• The Indiana Album Inc., Marion County – $4,999 to fund a database consultant, a part-time researcher and a data entry assistant.