Historical Commission to hold workshops on preservation grants

The Massachusetts Historical Commission will hold five informational workshops over the next month for local officials interested in applying for funding from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund grant program.

The state-funded, 50 percent reimbursable matching grant program was established in 1984 to support the preservation of properties, landscapes and sites listed in the State Register of Historic Places. It is anticipated that funding will be in the range of the previous grant round, which was $800,000.

At each workshop, a member of the Historical Commission’s Grants Division will explain the program requirements, go over program materials, and answer questions.

Workshops will be held as follows:
• Jan. 10, 2-4 p.m., Millbury Public Library, 128 Elm St., Millbury
• Jan. 16, 10 a.m.-noon, Massachusetts Historical Commission at the Massachusetts Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston
• Jan. 23, 2-4 p.m., Meekins Public Library, 2 Main St., Williamsburg
• Jan. 29, 2-4 p.m., Massachusetts Historical Commission at the Massachusetts Archives Building, 220 Morrissey Blvd., Boston
• Feb. 5, 2-4 p.m., Pilgrim Hall Museum, 75 Court St., Plymouth

Workshops are free of charge, and registration is not required. Applicants are encouraged to begin compiling application materials before attending a workshop, or as soon as possible, to allow sufficient time to meet the application deadline.

Applications for this next round of grants are due by March 22. Program information, a downloadable application and instructions, and directions for the upcoming grant workshops are available at tinyurl.com/PreservationProjectsFund.

For more information, contact Paul Holtz at 617-727-8470 or Paul.Holtz@sec.state.ma.us.