THE 1772 FOUNDATION NEWS RELEASE
Pomfret Foundation Awards Historic Preservation Grants
The 1772 Foundation announces $1,581,574 in funding for 21 grant recipients.
MEDIA CONTACT – Mary Anthony, The 1772 Foundation, maryanthony@1772foundation.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – FEBRUARY 23, 2021
POMFRET, CONNECTICUT – The 1772 Foundation, based in Pomfret, Connecticut, plays a leading role in promoting historic properties redevelopment programs (HPRPs), also known as revolving funds, nationwide. At its quarterly meeting, its trustees awarded HPRP grants totaling $1,169,162 to 16 recipients. Individual grants ranged in amount from $15,000 to $105,000. In Rhode Island, Preserve Rhode Island and Providence Revolving Fund received grants of $100,000 and $75,000, respectively. In Massachusetts, New Bedford’s Waterfront Historic Area League (WHALE) received $100,000 and Nantucket Preservation Trust received $15,000. Grants of $15,000 and $20,000 were made to organizations conducting HPRP feasibility studies.
The 1772 Foundation also announced five additional grants totaling $412,412.
Madison-Morgan Conservancy (Madison, Georgia) received $20,000 for the creation of a sustainable technologies revolving fund. The New England Grassroots Environment Fund was awarded $100,000 for the New England Food System Resilience Fund. Newport Restoration Foundation’s request of $71,212 for an historic building trades apprenticeship program was approved. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation will use its grant of $121,200 for its historic home repair program. Lastly, a grant of $100,000 went to WGBH in Boston for production/distribution of American Experience documentaries, which explore history not adequately interpreted through the built environment.
Foundation President Margaret Waldock stated, “The 1772 Foundation approved over $1.5 million in grants at its first quarterly meeting of 2021. This is the largest single grant round in our foundation’s thirty-five-year history, a demonstration of our commitment to increasing our grantmaking to help alleviate the stress of this pandemic on nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve, and to advancing social justice and environmental sustainability. Our granting supported new and emergent historic properties redevelopment programs, greening historic buildings, preservation carpentry apprentice programming, food resiliency efforts in systemically food insecure communities, and documentaries highlighting women’s and African American history.”
Other HPRP grant recipients were Alliance for Historic Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming ($20,000), Butte Citizens for Preservation and Revitalization in Butte, Montana ($105,000), Columbus Landmarks in Columbus, Ohio ($100,000), Fairmount Park Conservancy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ($49,162), Historic Charleston Foundation in Charleston, South Carolina ($100,000), Historic Natchez Foundation in Natchez, Mississippi ($100,000), Landmark Society of Western New York in Rochester, New York ($75,000), Mississippi Heritage Trust in Jackson, Mississippi ($15,000), New York City Historic Properties Fund ($100,000), Preservation Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland ($125,000), Preservation Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ($75,000), and Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation in Sarasota, Florida ($15,000).
The 1772 Foundation was named in honor of its first restoration project, Liberty Hall in Union, NJ, which was built in 1772 and is the ancestral home of the Livingston and Kean families. The late Stewart B. Kean was the original benefactor of The 1772 Foundation. The 1772 Foundation works to ensure the safe passage of our historic buildings and farmland to future generations. More information about The 1772 Foundation may be found at www.1772foundation.org.
