The Maine Historic Preservation Commission has released initial details of the Historic Community Buildings Grant Program.
In the November 2024 general election, Maine voters approved a $10 million dollar grant program for the restoration of historic community buildings owned by governmental and nonprofit organizations. The historic community buildings that are the focus of this grant are places that are open to the public and that support the social, educational, or cultural life of Maine people, according to a news release from Lauren Swain, the commission’s secretary specialist.
They may include libraries, museums, educational and governmental buildings, social meeting halls and entertainment venues. Religious spaces, fraternal halls and the like qualify if their spaces are periodically open to and used by the general public without limitation.
Funds will be awarded in three grant rounds beginning this fall. The total amount to be awarded, as well as the minimum and maximum size of each award, will vary in each round.
Grant funds are available for “shovel ready” construction projects only, not for planning, research or assessment projects, or for producing plans and specifications/bid documents.
Eligible buildings must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places or have been nominated to the Register by the Commission.
A 25% local matching share from either private or nonprofit sources will be required. The matching share may not come from governmental sources.
Eligible applicants include non-profit corporations as well as units of state, municipal and local governments.
All work must be consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties: Preservation or Restoration.
With some exceptions, the grant-funded work must be carried out in accordance with plans and specifications/bid documents prepared by a licensed architect or engineer. These plans and specifications/bid documents will have to be submitted with the application materials.
A preservation easement whose term varies by the amount of the grant award will be placed on the property and will be held by the Commission.
Tentative opening dates for applications are Aug. 1; Jan. 15, 2026; and Aug. 1, 2026
For more information visit maine.gov.
Check out other upcoming area events!
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Join the Conversation
We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It’s a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. Read more...
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
For those stories that we do enable discussion, our system may hold up comments pending the approval of a moderator for several reasons, including possible violation of our guidelines. As the Maine Trust’s digital team reviews these comments, we ask for patience.
Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday and limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve.
By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is found on our FAQs.
You can modify your screen name here.
Show less
Join the Conversation
Please sign into your CentralMaine.com account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe. Questions? Please see our FAQs.