From roofs and balustrade repair to weatherproofing, nearly $11 million has been allocated in State Preservation Grants to 164 projects at historic sites across the state over the past 16 years.
In that time, Lippitt House Museum alone received a combined $161,000 in SPG funds to repair its four chimneys, roof and cornice. “A little bit of prevention is worth an ounce of cure,” said Carrie Taylor, director of the Providence-based, 19th-century home.
Yet, despite such nonprofits’ reliance on the funding, the program is currently “on hiatus,” according to the R.I. Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission – the state entity that allocates the funding.
Funded through 2002, 2004 and 2014 bond issues, the three-year grants are focused on “restoration, rehabilitation and preservation of historic resources,” according to the commission, and require matching private donations.
“Without this piece of the funding puzzle,” said Taylor, “raising capital funds [will be] much more difficult, if not impossible.”
Other historic-preservation specialists are also concerned about the loss of funding.
The grants “give you credibility,” said Valerie Talmage, executive director of Preserve Rhode Island, allowing organizations to create “a mosaic of funding.”
In January, said Talmage, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo’s recommended budget did not include a new bond request for the grants. Since then, supporters have been pushing for a ballot question seeking voter approval of $6 million over three years.
“Frankly,” she said, “it’s a Hail Mary to get the General Assembly to do something like this” given the “competitive” number of groups requesting bonds.
If grant supporters can’t get a new bond request on the ballot this year, Talmage said “plan C” is to create an annual appropriation to ensure “consistent, reliable funding every year.”
Characterizing grant-reliant sites as “historic assets,” Talmage said: “We can’t starve them, we have to invest.”
Preservation Society of Newport County CEO Trudy Coxe said “a caucus, a few key people you can rely on” is needed for historic preservation to become more of an economic priority in the eyes of the state.
Coxe’s organization manages 11 historic properties and received $495,011 from the grant program since 2004. The organization is now looking to raise $1.2 million for Marble House roof repairs by 2020.
“I can guarantee every penny raised for that project will be hard to raise” without the grant funding, she said.
Joyce E. Gervasio, R.I. Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission chief financial officer, says the loss of grant funding will hurt preservation efforts in the state.
“These sites and programs will find it increasingly difficult to maintain and preserve Rhode Island’s most important historic sites and keep them open to the public,” she said.
