The Minnesota Historical Society is pleased to announce the newest recipients of 38 historical and cultural heritage large grants (over $10,000) in 25 counties, totaling $3,578,731 in FY2021. The grants, awarded once each fiscal year, are made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund of the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. 

Grant applications were recommended for funding by the Historic Resources Advisory Committee (HRAC), a volunteer panel made up of citizens from around the state. The MNHS Executive Council approved the recommendations on Oct. 22, 2020.

Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant Large Grant Recipients

Aitkin County Historical Society, Aitkin, $49,940
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Sylvan Township, Pillager, $129,980
To write an archaeological and historical literature review of Camp Ripley Sentinel Landscape.

Chippewa County Historical Society, Montevideo, $20,000
To hire a qualified architect to conduct a condition assessment of the 1901 Swensson Farm House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

North House Folk School, Grand Marais, $22,000
To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve the 1907 Jim Scott Fish House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Caponi Art Park, Eagan, $42,380
To hire a qualified conservator to restore the sculpture "Pompeii" by Anthony Caponi, a significant object in the museum’s collections.

Dakota County, Hastings, $125,000
To hire qualified consultants to fabricate 30 interpretive panels that tell the story of the stockyards of South St. Paul. 

Dakota County Historical Society, South St. Paul, $33,600
To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit design plan for Dakota County Historical Society's “George Daniels” exhibit, which will include an expansion on racial history in the county.

Dodge County, Mantorville, $49,800
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Wasioja Seminary Ruins, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Dodge County Historical Society, Mantorville, $74,800
To hire qualified professionals to repair various areas of the Bourdon House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Red Wing, $100,000
To hire a qualified consultant to develop a Historic Structure Report that will help preserve Tower View, built between 1915-1922 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

American Swedish Institute, Minneapolis, $150,000
To hire qualified professionals to repair the veranda of the 1908 Turnblad Mansion, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Farmer-Labor Education Committee, Minneapolis, $78,772
To hire qualified professionals to produce a documentary on the history of the Farmer-Labor movement in Minnesota.

Hennepin History Museum, Minneapolis, $54,947
To provide better organization of the museum's archival collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Regents of the University of Minnesota (U of M Libraries), Minneapolis, $108,278
To hire a qualified professional to process environmental history in the archival collections held by the University of Minnesota Archives. 

Houston County, Caledonia, $71,510
To hire qualified professionals to repair the main entry steps on the 1883 Houston County Courthouse, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

City of Coleraine, Coleraine, $122,096
To hire qualified professionals to repair the roof and masonry on the 1910 Coleraine City Hall, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Lake of the Woods County Historical Society, Baudette, $43,260
To hire a qualified consultant to write an exhibit plan for Lake of the Woods County Historical Society. 

City of Tracy, Tracy, $15,000
To hire qualified consultants to evaluate historic buildings in the City of Tracy for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

Mower County Historical Society, Austin, $59,738
To hire a qualified consultant to conduct a cultural landscape study of the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry.

Murray County, Slayton, $23,700
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Omaha Turntable, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Murray County, Slayton, $114,766
To hire qualified professionals to repair masonry and stairs at the 1891 Dinehart Holt House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Nobles County, Worthington, $198,301
To hire qualified technicians to upgrade the Worthington Armory's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system to bring it into compliance with museum standards. 

Nobles County Historical Society, Worthington, $29,151
To hire a qualified consultant to write an interpretive plan for Nobles County Historical Society.

Olmsted County Historical Society, Rochester, $159,164
To hire qualified technicians to upgrade the History Center of Olmsted County's lighting system.

City of Sandstone, Sandstone, $80,100
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare a Cultural Landscape Report for the Kettle River Sandstone Company Quarry, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and now known as Robinson Park.

Reclaim Community, Jasper, $51,300
To hire a qualified consultant to develop architectural drawings for reuse of Bauman Hall, built in 1908 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill, St. Paul, $61,000
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and now known as Christ Lutheran Church on Capitol Hill.

Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul, $57,248
To hire qualified professionals to research the museum's collections in preparation for an upcoming exhibit on how immigrant artists shaped Minnesota history through visual art and creative exchange.

Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul, $116,102
To digitize a large collection of St. Paul building permits and ledgers, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, $193,013
To hire qualified archaeologists to conduct field work and collection processing of the Pedersen Archaeological Site in Lincoln County.

City of Belview, Belview, $217,000
To hire qualified professionals to replace the roof on the 1901 Odeon Theatre, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, Faribault, $257,565
To hire qualified professionals to replace the sanctuary roof on the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Norwegian-American Historical Association, Northfield, $87,169
To digitize a collection of O.E. Rolvaag's archival documents, allowing for greater public access to these historic resources.

St. Olaf College, Northfield, $107,452
Archival Processing: To hire qualified professionals to process three archival collections related to musical and broadcast stories held by St. Olaf College.

St. Olaf College, Northfield, $97,344
To provide better organization of St. Olaf College's archival materials, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Armory Arts and Music Center, Duluth, $20,000
To contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the re-roofing of the 1915 Armory Arts and Music Center, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

St. Louis County Historical Society, Duluth, $149,942
To provide better organization of the museum collections, allowing for greater public access to the community’s historic resources.

Sinclair Lewis Foundation, Sauk Centre, $160,442
To hire qualified professionals to repair areas of the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home and Carriage House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places and a National Historic Landmark.

Winona County Historical Society, Winona, $105,215
To catalog and digitize vulnerable, essential, and less accessible images in the WCHS photograph and negative collection and to rehouse a significant amount of the material, allowing for greater public access to this historic research.

City of Canby, Canby, $39,000
To hire qualified professionals to repair the 1939 Historic Canby Theatre, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

About Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants
The Minnesota Historical Society received a legislative appropriation of $12.85 million for the 2020-2021 biennium for the Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage (“Legacy”) Grants: $5,846,000 for FY2020 and $7,004,000 for FY2021.

Grants are available for history and historic preservation projects in two funding tiers. Small grants of $10,000 or less are awarded quarterly. The next small grant application deadlines are Jan. 8 and April 9, 2021. Large grants of more than $10,000 are offered once a year. 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 www.mnhs.org/preservation/legacy-grants. Applications are accepted only through the MNHS grants portal.

About the Minnesota Historical Society
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 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.