Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
March 5, 2025

Contact:
Ivy Tan
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.tan@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445

Caitlin Sylvester
Grant Coordinator
caitlin.sylvester@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6461

Second Round of Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program-Appalachian Southwest Virginia Opens

—Allocated by the National Park Service as part of its 2023 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program, the funds will be distributed by the Department of Historic Resources (DHR) as subgrants to support the rehabilitation of historic buildings and sites in the Appalachian region of Virginia—

RICHMOND – The National Park Service has awarded the Commonwealth of Virginia a second round of funding in the amount of $750,000 through its Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program (PBHRGP) to support the rehabilitation of historic buildings and sites in the state’s southwestern region. To administer this award, DHR has established a subgrant program to fund approximately three preservation projects in Appalachian Virginia. The subgrant program aligns with the department’s overarching mission to ensure that Virginia’s historic places are valued and used as assets for education, tourism, environmental sustainability, and economic vitality. Public entities and nonprofit organizations based in Southwest Virginia that steward historic places in this 25-county region for the public good will be eligible to apply for funds from the subgrant program.

All historic properties funded through the subgrant program must be listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) and the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or be determined eligible for listing by DHR. Public entities and nonprofits looking to fund rehabilitation projects in any of the 25 counties or eight independent cities of Southwest Virginia are encouraged to apply to the subgrant program. A full list of eligible counties and cities within the region as identified by the Appalachian Regional Commission is available at the end of this news release.

Eligible subgrant projects will involve rehabilitation of buildings with a public function including, but not limited to, museums, theaters, and historic sites that contribute, or will contribute, to tourism and economic activity in their community. Each project is expected to have an estimated budget of $225,000. All material rehabilitation must be completed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's (SOI) Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

The PBHRGP is funded though the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). All programs funded though the HPF must adhere to the HPF Grants Manual and enter into a preservation agreement, a short-term covenant that places restrictions on the property and runs with the property deed, based on terms defined by the National Park Service.

DHR’s subgrant program consists of a two-step application process that begins with a brief preapplication to determine whether a project meets the minimum eligibility requirements. Preapplications will be accepted until April 4, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The projects that advance will have until May 23, 2025, to submit a full application.

For more detailed information and updates, visit the program webpage here.

Virginia Locations Eligible for DHR’s PBHRGP Subgrant Program

COUNTIES: Alleghany, Bath, Bland, Botetourt, Buchanan, Carroll, Craig, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Highland, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Rockbridge, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe

CITIES: Bristol, Buena Vista, Covington, Galax, Lexington, Martinsville, Norton, and Radford

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