State preservation office outlines grants, tax credits and training as Washington commission readies guideline update

Representatives from the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office outlined grant programs, tax-credit rules and training opportunities at a meeting of the Washington Historic Preservation Commission (date not specified), and the commission agreed to pursue updating its design guidelines and to place three previously reviewed sign applications on the public record.

Ethan Starr, identified as an architectural historian with the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office, said Washington participates in the Certified Local Government (CLG) program and has received more than $300,000 across 16 grants since the 1980s. Andrew Bridal, identified as grants manager at the State Historic Preservation Office, summarized available funding, saying, “The maximum amount that you can apply for is $50,000” from the state grant program and that CLG applicants receive preferential allocation of over half the annual funds the office distributes.

The presentation described three main grant categories: national-register and survey work; pre-construction planning and condition assessments for publicly owned, National Register–listed properties; and planning and…