Indiana Historical Society Provides More Than $450,000 to Local Historical Organizations through Latest Heritage Support Grants

The Indiana Historical Society recently announced its support of more than 14 local historical societies and organizations representing 13 counties from around the Hoosier state.

The IHS issued more than $450,000 during its most recent Heritage Support Grants program, an initiative launched in 2015 and made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The current iteration of the program will award $2.5 million to local historical organizations until 2024.

Heritage Support Grants serve Indiana’s local, county and regional historical societies, museums and sites, and recognizes the critical role these organizations play in upholding the state’s heritage. The grants fund projects that meet high-priority needs in the areas of Collections Stewardship, DEAI

(Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion), Sustainability and Planning. Learn more at www.indianahistory.org/grants.

The most recent recipients include:

Heritage Support Grants 2.0 – Project Grant, Cycle C Award Summaries

Daviess County Historical Society, Daviess County

The Daviess County Historical Society received $50,000 to help fund the final phase of the renovation of the museum’s ground floor to use as collections and museum programming space. This renovation will allow the historical society to provide programming in a more accessible space and have an area to effectively evaluate and process collections items.

Friends of T.C. Steele, Brown County

The Friends of T.C. Steele received $12,000 to fund Phase I of a virtual experience-based historic trail of sites related to the life of Hoosier artist T.C. Steele. The online app will provide access to a wide range of individuals and educational institutions, expanding knowledge about this important Indiana artist.

Goshen Historical Society, Elkhart County

The Goshen Historical Society received $35,840 to replace deteriorating and damaged windows on the existing storefront and to retrofit the front door with an automatic door opener. This work will allow the museum to better protect its exhibits and provide more accessible entry to the museum.

Greentown Historical Society, Howard County

The Greentown Historical Society received $50,000 to make structural repairs to damaged walls. This repair project will stabilize the structure, prepare the building for future work and improve the collections environment.

Historical Society of Ogden Dunes, Porter County

The Historical Society of Ogden Dunes received $50,000 to install a vertical platform lift. The lift will allow the organization to better serve visitors by increasing accessibility to museum spaces.

Hoosier Heartland Trolley Company, Howard County

The Hoosier Heartland Trolley Company received $40,000 to electrify Interurban Rail Car No. 429. This will enable the car to move and stop under its own power, marking the first time an Indiana interurban rail car has done so within the state of Indiana in more than 80 years.

Irvington Historical Society, Marion County

The Irvington Historical Society received $26,881 to make preservation upgrades to the Bona Thompson Center. The grant will fund UV protection on multiple museum windows, enabling the organization to protect and better preserve collections objects in its exhibits.

Jackson County History Center, Jackson County

The Jackson County History Center received $40,750 for work on the 1890 Ball Museum. The grant will fund work on interior and exterior brick walls and complete the final phase of building repair and restoration.

Jane Ross Reeves Octagon House Foundation, Inc., Hancock County

The Jane Ross Reeves Octagon House Foundation, Inc. received $5,860 to fund the installation of a handicap ramp and handrail, improving access to the building and allowing the organization to serve wider audiences.

LaGrange County Historical Society, LaGrange County

The LaGrange County Historical Society received $30,000 to restore and re-install a stained-glass window. The re-installed window will replace a temporary window covering and will provide a more secure building envelope.

Marshall County Historical Society, Marshall County

The Marshall County Historical Society received $50,000 to renovate existing exhibits, working with the Citizen Potawatomi Cultural Heritage Center to expand content and present a fuller picture of Native American life in Indiana.

Monon Civic Preservation Society, White County

The Monon Civic Preservation Society received $17,340 to microfilm early editions of the Monon News and to purchase a microfilm reader. This project will preserve the newspaper content and allow the organization to prepare them for future digitization.

North Manchester Historical Society, Wabash County

The North Manchester Historical Society received $10,000 to fund an accessibility study of and make changes to the current museum restrooms. The project will provide better facilities for museum staff and visitors as well as help the museum plan for future accessibility projects.

Union Literary Institute Preservation Society, Randolph County

The Union Literary Institute Preservation Society received $50,000 to fund the first phase of the foundation replacement for the 1860 building. The project will help stabilize the building and prepare it for further work with the goal of creating public programming as well as exhibit and archive spaces.

Guidelines and applications are available on the IHS website at www.indianahistory.org/grants or by calling the IHS at (317) 232-1882.

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