HPC schedules Circle Hill Cemetery tour for October 2026, plans photo contest and facade grant follow-up

The Angola Historic Preservation Commission confirmed plans to hold the Circle Hill Cemetery tour in October 2026, with the Pleasant Township trustee and Kathy Aldrich willing to host. Members discussed ticketing logistics after prior crowds arrived without tickets — the group recommended selling tickets online and at the city hall office (for patrons who cannot buy online) and considered increasing the number or frequency of groups to reduce idle time for actors.

To improve visitor safety and experience during evening tours, members proposed investing in additional pathway lighting (solar lights or brighter lanterns) and increasing the number of docents to roughly six per night. They also discussed providing a modest thank-you (hot cocoa or a snack) for participants and actors on the final night.

Separately, staff said a QR-code grant application to Indiana Humanities was declined earlier but that the grantor recommended reapplying; the reapplication deadline cited in the meeting is Feb. 27. Staff discussed matching funds (transcript references $1,000 city and $1,000 Main Street) and said matching would enable approximately $4,000 to be used for the project. The commission also noted that facade-grant projects from the previous cycle rolled into 2026 and that the facade grant cap remains $10,000.

Members set a proposed photo-contest schedule tied to Historic Preservation Month, with submissions to be accepted through May 19; categories discussed include black and white, color and under-18. Staff will prepare and distribute a flyer and coordinate promotion with Main Street and other partners.

Next steps: staff will create the event flyer, confirm ticketing procedures, reach out to docents and volunteers, and reapply for the QR-code grant with clarified research examples.