Historic Preservation Funding

Historic preservation activities may be funded with a combination of grants, public and private investment. Below are some possible funding sources for historic preservation. There are also other creative means to fund historic preservation. Historic properties can benefit from state and federal funding programs that support projects in the arts, humanities, museum development, natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation. In order to find out more about these grant possibilities, investigate some of the related links.

Federal Historic Preservation Grants (administered by the Tennessee Historical Commission) - Federal grant funds are made available to the state under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Any individual, local governmental body, private organization, or educational institution that is interested in the benefits of historic preservation may apply for funds. Grant applications are accepted by the THC annually and are due on September 1st.

Federal Tax Credits for Historic Preservation - a 20% rehabilitation tax credit (administered by the Tennessee Historical Commission) is available for properties rehabilitated for commercial, industrial, agricultural, or rental residential purposes.

National Trust for Historic Preservation - offers several grant and loan programs with broad applicability.

Transportation Enhancement Funds (Federal Highway Administration / State Transportation Department) - funds for transportation related projects, which may include historic preservation.

Department of Housing and Urban Development - HUD offers various forms of financial assistance to those wishing to rehabilitate housing, which may include the rehabilitation of historic buildings for low-income housing.

National Center for Preservation, Technology & Training Grants - offers competitive matching grants for preservation research, information management, and training projects.

Partners for Sacred Places - although this non-profit organization does not have grant funds available, they do have a host of ideas of how to fund and rehabilitate historic churches.