MNHS Announces Latest Round of Legacy Small Grants

The Minnesota Historical Society announces 48 recipients of 50 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grants (up to $10,000 each), totaling $369,849 in 24 counties.

Small grants are awarded quarterly to help nonprofit and educational organizations, government units and tribal organizations preserve and share Minnesota history. This cycle of awards was approved by the MNHS Executive Council on March 1, 2017.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Small Grant Recipients
Recipients of small grants (up to $10,000) from the January 2017 cycle are listed in alphabetical order below. Each project will preserve and enhance Minnesota’s cultural and historical resources. All grants are competitive and are awarded according to program guidelines and criteria and professional standards.

Afton Historical Society and Museum, Afton, $4,645
Conservation of Fabric Plat Map of Afton: To hire a qualified conservator to restore a significant object in the museum’s collections.

AirSpace Minnesota, Minneapolis, $2,748
Research Project, the Honeywell Ring Laser Gyro: To research the history of the Honeywell Ring Laser Gyro in preparation for a future manuscript.

American Red Cross Twin Cities Area Chapter, Minneapolis, $10,000
Celebrating a Century of Service, 100 Years of the American Red Cross in Minnesota: To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of the American Red Cross in Minnesota.

Anoka County Historical Society, Anoka, $9,999
Digitization of Jon Arfstrom Diaries: To digitize a collection of diaries and sketchbooks, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Atwater Area Historical Society, Atwater, $7,500
Evaluation of Building Mechanical System (HVAC): To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

Belwin Conservancy, Afton, $9,000
George Metcalf Property National Register Evaluation: To hire a qualified historian to complete an evaluation to determine eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Caponi Art Park, Eagan, $8,000
HVAC Evaluation of Caponi Art Park Archive Storage Areas: To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

Caponi Art Park, Eagan, $9,980
Conservation Survey of Sculptures in Caponi Art Park Collection: To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a preservation needs assessment for the Caponi Art Park sculptures.

City of Centerville, Centerville, $5,977
Collections Inventory and Cataloging: To provide better organization of the collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

City of Ely, Ely, $9,500
Ely Reconnaissance Survey: To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a reconnaissance study of downtown Ely.

City of Morristown, Morristown, $5,100
Morristown Feed Mill National Register Nomination: To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the Morristown Feed Mill.

City of New Ulm Fire Department, New Ulm, $6,584
General Conservation Assessment and Long-Range Preservation Plan: To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long-range collections preservation plan.

City of Rochester, Rochester, $4,700
Condition Assessment for Henry S. Plummer House Water Tower: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Henry S. Plummer House water tower, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Walters, Walters, $10,000
Condition Assessment for the Walters Jail: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Walters Jail, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Clearwater County Historical Society, Bagley, $7,500
Planning for Redesign of Museum Lighting: To hire a qualified museum lighting professional to develop a museum lighting plan.

Cook County Historical Society, Grand Marais, $10,000
Archaeology Near St. Francis Xavier Church: To hire a qualified archaeologist to conduct a survey of the area near St. Francis Xavier Church, Chippewa City.

Dakota County Historical Society, South St. Paul, $9,385
Acquire Microfilm Reader/Printer/Scanner: To purchase a microfilm reader/printer to make microfilmed records more accessible to the public.

East Side Freedom Library, St. Paul, $10,000
Centennial History of the Arlington Hills Public Library: To hire qualified professionals to produce a manuscript on the history of the Arlington Hills Public Library building.

Fitzgerald in Saint Paul, St. Paul, $10,000
Publishing, Marketing & Distributing “F. Scott Fitzgerald in Minnesota: The Writer & His Friends at Home”: To hire qualified professionals to publish a book on historic homes in Minnesota that have a connection to F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Little Falls, $4,800
Franciscan Sisters History Project: To hire qualified professionals to edit a manuscript on the history of the Franciscan Sisters in Little Falls.

Friends of Old Prairieville Cemetery, Northfield, $2,645
Informational Sign for Old Prairieville Cemetery: To design, produce and install a historical marker in Northfield for Old Prairieville Cemetery.

Golden Valley Historical Society, Golden Valley, $3,700
General Conservation Assessment and Long-Range Conservation Plan: To hire a qualified museum consultant to conduct a general preservation needs assessment survey and long-range collections preservation plan.

Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Moorhead, $10,000
Digitization of Flaten-Wange Glass Plate Negatives: To digitize part of a large collection of photo negatives, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Islamic Center of Winona, Winona, $10,000
Condition Assessment: To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the Islamic Center of Winona's building, a bank that is part of the Winona Commercial Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Itasca County Historical Society, Grand Rapids, $2,335
Oral History Association Conference Scholarship: To provide professional development for staff and board members at the national Oral History Association conference in Minneapolis, October 4-8, 2017.

Judy Garland Children’s Museum, Grand Rapids, $10,000
Develop an Object Theater Interpretive Plan: To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for the Gumm historic house.

Maritime Heritage Minnesota, St. Paul, $9,995
Lake Minnetonka Nautical Archaeology Project, Anomaly Assessment and ROV Study: To conduct a marine archaeology assessment of Lake Minnetonka.

Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, $9,986
Restoring Public Access, Cataloging Support for the James and Marilynn Alcott Library: To provide better organization of library materials, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, Minneapolis, $9,875
Minnesota Architects: Modern Masters Oral History Project, Phase 2: To document in eight oral history interviews the history of modernist architects in Minnesota.

Minnesota Discovery Center, Chisholm, $5,200
Collections Inventory Phase VI: To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Minnesota Masonic Historical Society and Museum, Bloomington, $2,899
Establishing an Environmental Monitoring System: To monitor, assess and make necessary changes to environmental controls at the museum sites.

Minnesota Transportation Museum, St. Paul, $10,000
MTM Education Plan: To hire a qualified consultant to write an education plan for the Minnesota Transportation Museum.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, $3,600
Collections Management Policy and Procedures: To hire a qualified consultant to prepare a collections management policies and procedures document.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, $10,000
Interpretive Planning, Content Research for Development of a History Center: To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for Mitchell Hamline School of Law.

Mower County Historical Society, Austin, $7,944
Lyle Oral History Phase 2, School and Businesses: To document in 10 oral history interviews the history of Lyle schools and businesses.

Murray County, Slayton, $7,052
End of Line Professional Archive Inventory and Rehousing: To provide better organization of archival materials, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $3,206
Oral History Digitization Project: To digitize a collection of oral history cassette recordings, allowing for greater public access to this historic resource.

Northfield Historical Society, Northfield, $9,940
Northfield in World War I Digitization Project: To digitize Northfield documents pertaining to World War I, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Polk County Historical Society, Crookston, $9,900
Historic Carnegie Library Electrical Updates: To hire qualified technicians to upgrade Polk County Historical Society's electrical system.

Proctor Area Historical Society, Proctor, $4,800
ADA Architecture Needs Assessment and Implementation Plan: To hire an architect for predevelopment work to improve public accessibility at the Proctor Area Historical Society and better comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Center for Urban and Regional Affairs), Minneapolis, $8,236
History of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs: To hire a qualified historian to conduct primary source research on the history of the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (Weisman Art Museum), Minneapolis, $9,647
WAM Files Processing Project: To provide better organization of the archival materials, allowing for greater public access to the museum's historic resources.

Richfield Historical Society, Richfield, $9,600
Phase I Structural Stabilization Planning: To hire a qualified architect to develop architectural drawings for the Riley Bartholomew House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Rondo Avenue Inc., St. Paul, $10,000
Interpretative Panels for Rondo Plaza, Planning: To hire a qualified consultant to research the history of St. Paul's Rondo neighborhood, in preparation for future exhibit panels.

Scott County Historical Society, Shakopee, $352
Oral History Association Conference Scholarship: To provide professional development for staff and board members at the national Oral History Association conference in Minneapolis, October 4-8, 2017.

Stevens County Historical Society, Morris, $9,059
Clothing Collection Inventory: To provide better organization of the museum's clothing collection, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, $9,000
St. Olaf Lutheran Church National Register Nomination: To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for St. Olaf Lutheran Church.

Waseca County Historical Society, Waseca, $5,360
Microfilm Waseca County Newspapers: To microfilm Waseca County newspapers to make primary records more accessible to the public.

Western Hennepin County Pioneers Association, Long Lake, $7,900
Evaluation of HVAC System: To hire a qualified and experienced HVAC engineer to evaluate how well the current system controls the museum environment.

Winona County Historical Society, Winona, $2,200
Creation of MNopedia Entries: To create three Winona County entries for the MNopedia project for online research.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants
The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $11.525 million for the 2015-2017 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (“Legacy”) Grants: $5,525,000 for FY2016 and $6,000,000 for FY2017.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grants deadline is April 14, 2017. All grants are administered through a competitive process using professional standards and criteria.

For more information on the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants program, including application deadlines, visit legacy.mnhs.org/grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants are made possible by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. The Legacy Amendment supports efforts to preserve Minnesota land, water and legacy, including Minnesota history and cultural heritage.

The Minnesota Historical Society is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution established in 1849. MNHS collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. Using the power of history to transform lives, MNHS preserves our past, shares our state’s stories and connects people with history. Visit us at mnhs.org.

The Minnesota Historical Society is supported in part by its Premier Partners: Xcel Energy and Explore Minnesota Tourism.