Howard announces $3,645 state grant awarded to The Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust Inc. for archival preservation

MALVERN, Mar. 3 -- State Rep. Kristine Howard, D-Chester, announced today $3,645 in state Historical & Archival Records Care grants has been awarded to The Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust Inc. to scan and provide archival preservation of The Mill’s historical collection of original manuscripts from previous owners, oral histories, photographs, newspaper clippings, books recording daily sales, and other materials illustrating life in an important rural community centered on a colonial-era grist mill.

“I am very pleased that the Mill’s efforts at preserving our colonial past are being supported by the HARC,” Howard said. “The Mill represents an important part of our cultural heritage, giving us rare insights into local colonial history. This grant money will help the Trust increase access to our heritage through the preservation and digitization of their treasure trove of written records.

“To have a sense of ourselves as a community today, it is critical that we know who we were yesterday.”

HARC awards are designed to improve the preservation and accessibility of historically significant records maintained by local governments, historical societies and academic institutions. Projects may include initiatives such as digitization; arranging, describing and rehousing collections into appropriate formats, containers and environments; collection assessment; records surveys;and disaster planning. All grants must concern the care of historical records.

The grants are administered on a competitive basis. Funding for the awards spans two years.