Monroe and Social Circle awarded Federal Historic Preservation Grants

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs announced that nine Georgia municipalities will receive federal sub grants to support historic preservation activities in their respective communities – and two of those communities are in Walton County. The City of Monroe will receive $15,000 toward a historic resources survey and the City of Social Circle will receive $10,252.93, also for a historic resources survey. A total of $109,000 was awarded to be split between the nine municipalities. These are 60/40 percent matching grants with the 60 percent being the federal contribution.

The 2021 Historic Preservation Fund grants are to facilitate historic preservation planning initiatives and projects such as historic resource surveys, outreach efforts, as well as bricks-and-mortar projects throughout the state. These grants are awarded annually through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service. The grants are administered by the State Historic Preservation Office of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

To be eligible to become a federal Certified Local Government, a city or county must have passed a preservation ordinance and have established a historic preservation commission. 

“Historic preservation works best as a partnership with local stakeholders, and we are proud of the efforts of this year’s grant recipients and all of our Certified Local Government partners,” division director Dr. David Crass, said in the press release announcing the awards. “The CLG program is one of our most important tools in promoting economic development focused on local historic resources. The communities participating in the program have taken the initiative to work to protect the historic resources that make their respective cities, or counties, truly special.” 

HPF grant funds may be used for a variety of other preservation activities, including archaeological surveys, design guidelines, educational/promotional/tourism activities, and publications.