Available Grants
The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program (AHPP) administers or assists with grant programs that seek to preserve the state's historic resources while broadening our appreciation of Arkansas history and historic preservation. The programs, financed through proceeds of the state Real Estate Transfer Tax, and/or federal funds received from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, provide assistance to governments, organizations and individuals seeking to preserve historic Arkansas for future generations to learn from and enjoy. Certified Local Government, Historic Preservation Restoration and County Courthouse Restoration Subgrants Grants have been distributed across the state.
County Courthouse Restoration Grants
The AHPP's County Courthouse Restoration Subgrants have been used to help restore 79 historic county courthouses and courthouse annexes in 67 of the state's 75 counties since they were created in 1989, helping to extend the lives of structures that hold
vital links to community pride and local history. Participating counties donate facade easements on their historic county courthouses in return for financial assistance in rehabilitating the buildings. Grant funds come primarily from the Real Estate
Transfer Tax, administered by the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council. Total amounts available to be shared among applicants annually have ranged from $150,000 to $1,000,000.
Augusta Woodruff County Courthouse
The deteriorating roof was restored with the help of the County Courthouse Restoration Subgrants.
Historic Marker Program Grants
The markers commemorate the past by acknowledging the historically significant people, places and events that have shaped our state and confirm the importance of educating the public about these Arkansas treasures.
Learn MoreCertified Local Government Grants
City and county governments in Arkansas that participate in the AHPP's Certified Local Government (CLG) program are eligible for pass-through grants from the federal Historic Preservation Fund. AHPP must subgrant at least 10% of its annual federal appropriation to CLGs each year. (CLG grants can also be used to assist local governments seeking to join the program.)
CLG pass-through grants can be used for a variety of local historic preservation projects, including architectural surveys of historic sites or districts, preparation of nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, development of educational
materials for historic property owners, and rehabilitation of local historic structures. CLG grants are often used to provide training and support to local historic district commissions.
21 Arkansas cities currently participate in the Certified Local Government program. They are Batesville, Benton, Blytheville, Conway, Dumas, El Dorado, Eureka Springs, Fairfield Bay, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Helena-West Helena, Hot Springs, Little Rock, Morrilton, North Little Rock, Osceola, Pine Bluff, Rogers, Russellville, Texarkana, and Van Buren.
Training for historic district commissioners and their staff; staff support for a historic district commission; architectural surveys of historic areas; nominations to the National Register of Historic Places; development of design guidelines for use by historic preservation commissions in their review of new construction and alterations to properties within historic districts; archeological surveys and excavations; preservation plans for the protection of local historic resources; educational materials for property owners on preservation practices; brick-and-mortar restoration work on historic properties
No. CLG grants have frequently been awarded without a match. However, because CLG grants are competitive, grants that have a match show a greater commitment from the community and therefore stand a better chance of being awarded.
Historic Preservation Restoration Grant
Three options are available:
Grants of up to $10,000 are available to the owners of properties that
are 1) listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places and/or 2)
identified
as a non-contributing structure in a National Register
District; if the grant project will make the property eligible for
listing on the National
Register of Historic Places and the owner follows through
with the National Register listing process. Option 1 grants are not
available for
properties listed on the National Register.
Grants of $10,000 or more are available to the owners of properties that meet all of the following criteria: (a) listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and (b) owned by a not-for-profit organization or a municipality. No Option 2 grants will be made to individuals' private residences or businesses. Preference will be given to projects that are not eligible for other AHPP grant programs.
PLEASE NOTE: Recipients of Option 2 grants must donate a conservation easement on the property for which the grant is awarded. Both categories of grants require a 50 percent cash match (i.e.: a $10,000 grant would require at least a $5,000 cash match). Applications can be made for only one grant in one Historic Preservation Restoration Grant category per grant cycle.Grants of $5,000 to $9,999 are available to fund restoration projects for cemeteries listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Option 3 grants are available to non-profit organizations (501 (c) 3) and units of local government. If the cemetery is owned by any other entity, the grant may be submitted and administered by an eligible non-profit or unit of local government on behalf of the cemetery. Preference will be given to projects that are not eligible for other AHPP grants.
PLEASE NOTE: Option 3 grant recipients must provide a 20% cash match of the total project cost (i.e., a minimum $5,000 grant award requires a match of $1,000, 50% of which can be in-kind materials, services and/or labor). For Option 3 grants, the AHPP may require an archeological consultation during a scheduled visit by an Arkansas Archeological Survey station archeologist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Poor planning is even more expensive. AHPP strongly encourages all applicants to have a licensed architect review the property and provide written recommendations for which priorities need to be addressed first. This gives the applicant and his/her general contractor a rough roadmap to follow as they apply for funds.
No. Due to the sheer number of historic buildings in Arkansas, as well as the limits on AHPP's grant funds, we are unable to make grants for preservation/restoration directly to private owners of National Register properties. Owners of National Register-listed or eligible commercial property, including commercial residential properties, are eligible for the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit.
AHPP does offer grants of up to $10,000 to private property owners through Option I of the Historic Preservation Restoration Grant. These funds can only be used to fund modifications to properties on the Arkansas Register or listed as non-contributing in a National Register district, and the project must result in the properties' becoming eligible for the National Register.
AHPP funds the creation of master plans in both the Courthouse Grant Program and the Historic Preservation Restoration Grant Program. Funds can be used to hire a licensed architect to do a comprehensive assessment of the building's structure and needs, and the resulting written plan can be used to justify future grant proposals to AHPP.
$10,000 is the maximum amount for Historic Preservation Restoration Option 1 grant and the minimum for Option 2. There is no established maximum for Option 2 grants although the average grant amount is about $25,000 and rarely exceeds $80,000. Both options require the applicant to provide 2:1 cash match, so a $10,000 grant requires a $5,000 match. The Courthouse Restoration grants, which are limited to operational National Register listed county courthouses and annexes, has no minimum or maximum.