Trump Administration Invests $202,660 In Preservation Technology, Cultural Heritage And Training Grants

Submitted by Chris Clark
on August 4, 2020
- 6:15 am

Dwelling of Enslaved Africans at Cibula, Prince George County VA, c. 1820. With funding from this grant program, the Database of Vernacular Architecture will create the first interdisciplinary database that archives, curates, and disseminates vernacular building information in the Western Hemisphere. Photo by Willie Graham

NPS News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump Administration announced Monday $202,660 in grants for projects to develop or adapt techniques to preserve historical sites and cultural heritage in nine states.

“Historic preservation depends on advancements in science and technology,” said NPS Deputy Director David Vela, exercising the authority of the Director. “These grants will help educational institutions, states, local governments, and non-profit organizations foster innovative research and training projects that preserve aspects of our history.”

Examples of projects funded this year include:

The City of Fairfax, VA will conduct research aimed at implementing new methods for assessing and preserving interior surfaces of historic structures with advanced imaging.
Texas Tech University will investigate measuring pitch pine physical and chemical defense mechanisms in historically and culturally important forests in Concord, MA, and how those defense mechanisms may protect them from the expected arrival of the southern pine beetle.
The University of Texas San Antonio will examine the potential impact of automated heated and cooling systems on historic stone buildings.

The National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) administers the grants as part of its efforts to create new technologies and training opportunities to preserve historic and cultural resources. Funded by the National Recreation and Preservation account, NCPTT has awarded more than $11 million in grants to fund science and technology-based landmark preservation projects since 1994. A full list of this year’s grant recipients is below.

For more information about the NPS Center for Preservation Technology and Training, including these grants, visit www.ncptt.nps.gov.