Grant funding available for historic preservation, conservation projects

To help protect and preserve Richland County’s rich land and historic places, Richland County Conservation Commission is accepting applications for its Historic Preservation and Community Conservation grants.

Nonprofit and neighborhood organizations, governmental agencies, institutions and commercial entities may apply for the grants, which require a 20 percent match. The deadline for submission for both grants is 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, 2018. Grant criteria and applications are available online at richlandlegacy.com.

Historic Preservation Grants are available in amounts up to $50,000 for preservation or restoration costs for historic buildings and cemeteries, or for educational and research projects promoting the history of Richland County.

Historic Preservation Grant projects that were awarded in 2017 and are currently underway include:

• Restoration of a pressed metal ceiling at Ebenezer Lutheran Chapel
• Historic home plaques in the Hollywood and Rose Hill community
• Interpretive signs for  Olympia Mill Common
• Oral histories in Waverly and Lower Richland
• New roof for the J.A. Byrd Mercantile in Eastover

Community Conservation Grants are available in amounts up to $20,000 for building trails, water quality improvement projects, green infrastructure or environmental education programs. Community Conservation Grants awarded in 2017 include:

• Boardwalk construction at Wateree Retreat Center
• Mountain bike trail reroute at Harbison State Forest
• Vegetable and pollinator gardens
• Construction of the Kinsler Creek Greenway

For more information about Richland County’s historic and conservation grant opportunities, contact Nancy Stone-Collum with Richland County Conservation at[email protected] or 803-576-2083.