Lancaster organizations awarded nearly $125,000 in historical preservation grants

LANCASTER, June 8 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El helped to secure $124,827 in state grants for two Lancaster organizations.

The award money comes from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission’s Keystone Historic Preservation grant program.

The grant awardees are:

The city of Lancaster received a $25,000 grant to create a small area plan to develop the closed historic prison at 625 E. King St. and its surrounding area. The plan would include potential land uses, historic resource analysis, scale of future development, transportation improvements and more.

The YWCA Lancaster YForward Historic Porch Restoration Project was awarded a $99,827 grant to remove the 1973, non-historic, masonry fire stair tower from the North Lime Street elevation so the Colonial Revival style porch can be restored to its historical, full length configuration.

““I am very proud to have helped secure these state grants to preserve the city’s history for its current and future residents,” Smith-Wade-El said. “Preservation projects like these enhance the distinctiveness of the city’s diverse neighborhoods and repurpose historic buildings and sites in creative ways to meet evolving community needs.”

All grants require a 50/50 cash match and were awarded through a competitive selection process.

Keystone Historic Preservation grants provide funding to support projects that identify, preserve, promote and protect historic and archaeological resources in Pennsylvania for both the benefit of the public and the revitalization of communities. Funding also supports municipal planning initiatives that focus on historic resources or may be used to meet building or community specific planning goals. The program also supports construction activities at resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. 

The grants receive funding from the Keystone Recreation, Park & Conservation Fund. This fund is supported annually from a portion of state realty transfer tax revenue.

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission is the official history agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Residents can learn more by visiting PHMC online or following them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.