Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
October 2025
Contact:
Ivy Tan
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.tan@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445
—The three projects recommended for funding will be based in Wise, Smyth, and Highland Counties—
RICHMOND – The Department of Historic Resources announced today that it has recommended three preservation projects in the Appalachian Region of Virginia for federal funding from the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program.
Last year the National Park Service (NPS) bestowed Virginia a second round of $750,000 in grant funds through its 2023 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program (PBHRGP) for the rehabilitation of historic buildings and sites in the Commonwealth’s Appalachian region. To administer the award, the Department formed a subgrant program to fund preservation projects led by Appalachian Virginia–based public entities and nonprofit organizations that steward historic places for the public good within the 25-county region.
Awarded subgrant projects involve the rehabilitation of buildings with public functions that contribute, or will contribute, to tourism and economic activity in their communities. All grant-funded work must be completed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's (SOI) Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and the NPS’s Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) Manual.
Earlier this year, after a multistep project screening process, the Department invited 15 out of 16 initial applicants to submit a full application for its PBHRGP subgrant program. The Department then received 12 completed full applications. In August the Department’s internal review panel selected three applicants to receive subgrant awards. The projects will each be funded at $225,000 for a total of $675,000. The remaining $75,000 will be used to hire a project manager, who will assist all three grant recipients, to fabricate required project signs, and for indirect cost recovery.
Learn more about the projects that have been recommended for funding through the PBHRGP in the table below:
| Project Name | Applicant | Location | Project Description |
| Highland County Museum, Gateway to Highland History | Highland Historical Society | McDowell, Highland County | The objective is to stabilize the building's foundation, repair and reinforce exterior masonry (including chimney which are pulling away), replace roof, and address critical structural vulnerabilities. |
| Octagon House Foundation | Octagon House Foundation Inc. | Marion, Smyth County | Funds requested will be utilized to address structural deficiencies, restore flooring, and install windows and doors, all of which will secure building envelope and allow public access to the building for the first time. |
| The Appalachia Cultural Arts Center Accessibility Rehabilitation Project | Appalachia Cultural Arts Council Inc | Appalachia, Wise County | Project to remove the currently unusable freight elevator with DC current and replace it with a safe and reliable passenger elevator, including repairing and updating the shaft. This will allow access to the upper floors by the public. |
Following a review of the three proposed projects by the Department’s director, Julie Langan, each project was submitted to the NPS for preliminary approval. Next, they will be submitted for the environmental review process that the NPS will initiate. As such, the Department’s funding recommendations are currently considered preliminary.
For more information about PBHRGP-Southwest Virginia, visit its webpage or email grants@dhr.virginia.gov.
About the NPS Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program
Named for the late preservation leader from Vermont, the NPS Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program was established to foster economic development in rural communities across the United States by providing funding for the rehabilitation of historic buildings within those communities. The Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program was issued under Federal Assistance Listing 15.904, also known as the Historic Preservation Fund, which uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to provide assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars.
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