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State historic-preservation official briefs Franklin City Council on grants, tax credits and Rosenwald schools
Summary
A Department of Historic Resources (DHR) representative briefed Franklin City Council on state technical assistance, planning grants available to local governments and nonprofits (not private owners), use of rehabilitation tax credits for contributing properties in a historic district, and the state's Rosenwald Schools documentation program.
FRANKLIN, Va. — The Franklin City Council on July 22 heard a briefing from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources on programs that can help identify, document and preserve historic properties in the city.
Aaron introduced the visiting DHR representative, who described DHR’s role as the state historic preservation office and offered technical assistance, planning resources and grant information for local governments and organizations. "Our mission is to identify, document, research, preserve, and protect, when possible, historic resources throughout the state," the representative said.
The presenter said state programs generally do not provide direct funding to private property owners but that local governments and qualified organizations can access planning grants and that properties within an identified historic district may use federal and state rehabilitation tax credits if the buildings are contributing. The speaker also noted a multiple-property document developed about 15 years ago that documents Rosenwald Schools across the state and said the document is being expanded to include African American schools of the same period that were not Rosenwald-funded.
Council members asked whether rescue or rehabilitation grants could be directed to fix houses in certain areas; the DHR representative said DHR’s primary role in those cases is preservation planning and technical assistance, and recommended a workshop or follow-up visit to go into program details.
What’s next: the DHR representative offered to return for a workshop and to follow up individually with owners and city staff to identify eligible properties and program options.
Source: Franklin City Council meeting transcript, July 22, 2024.
