Archives & History and the 250th commission seek recurring and one‑time funds for exhibits, staffing and battleground preservation
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Archives & History requested state funding to convert two federal SHPO positions to state FTEs, $175,000 recurring for insurance/technology, and $2 million one‑time for exhibit expansion; the Revolutionary War commission asked to sustain $6.9M recurring and additional nonrecurring funds for acquisitions, mobile education and preservation projects tied to the 250th commemoration.
Representatives from the Department of Archives and History told the Senate budget education subcommittee they need state funds to shore up staffing, insurance and technology costs and to expand exhibit space for the upcoming 250th anniversary display.
An Archives official told the committee federal delays in the FY25 Historic Preservation Fund made the agency consider moving two State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) positions from federal support to a state line item that currently funds one FTE; the official said there is roughly $230,000 budgeted in that classified positions line but only one FTE is funded in practice. The agency also requested $175,000 in recurring funds to cover rising insurance rates and charges from the Department of Technology/Administration technology services for protecting collections.
The archives asked for $2,000,000 one‑time to expand exhibit space from about 600 square feet into the back garden (to roughly 2,200 square feet) to permanently display foundational documents and rotate temporary exhibits; the official asked the committee to keep proviso 26.1 in place.
Linked to the commemorations, a commission representative introduced as General William Grimsley outlined the Revolutionary War commission’s request to sustain recurring funding at $6.9 million to support statewide acquisition, research, education and grants programs and proposed roughly $4.5 million in nonrecurring projects. Grimsley described planned initiatives including battlefield acquisition and preservation, publication projects (new volumes of the Francis Marion papers and others), a mobile education van, a year‑round state fair exhibit, and a funded partnership to purchase, preserve and display a rare 2nd Spartan regiment flag.
Why it matters: The commission framed these investments as legacy projects tied to the 250th of American independence and public education efforts across the state. Grimsley told the committee the grants program has distributed more than $12 million in appropriated funds to local historical societies and county committees and that several battlefield projects could leverage federal or private partners.
Committee response and next steps: Committee members thanked presenters and asked brief logistical questions; presenters said they would return as needed. The commission signaled it will bring additional proposals and legacy planning for governance after the commission’s statutory term ends in 2033.