Tennessee Wars Commission Unveils New Civil War Sites Grant Program

Underground Railroad-Associated Sites Also Eligible for Funding

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Wars Commission and the Tennessee Historical Commission announced today that applications for a new grant program that will provide funding to protect Civil War and Underground Railroad sites in Tennessee will be available Dec. 1.

Funding for the grants is made possible by the Tennessee Civil War Sites Preservation Act of 2013, which was passed this year by the Tennessee General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Haslam.

“This is a terrific new source of preservation funding for our state,” Tennessee Historical Commission Director and State Historic Preservation Officer Patrick McIntyre said.

The new program will help fund the acquisition of the properties or of protective interests in properties such as conservation easements for land associated with the 38 most significant Civil War sites in Tennessee. In addition, the grants will assist in funding Underground Railroad sites eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or for being designated a National Historic Landmark.

“This is a significant boost to our ongoing work to ensure the permanent protection of the hallowed ground where men fought and gave their lives,” Fred Prouty, Program Director for the Wars Commission said. “In addition, the fund also has the potential to help preserve places associated with the road to freedom for those escaping slavery.”

The amount of funds available for grants in Tennessee is expected to be approximately $483,000. After review, applications will be rated and ranked. The grants will pay a 50 percent match. The grant recipient must provide the remaining 50 percent of the costs as matching funds.

Completed applications must be submitted by February 1, 2014.

Applications for grants are available from Fred Prouty at the Tennessee Wars Commission, 2941 Lebanon Road, Nashville, 37243. He may also be reached by email at fred.prouty@tn.gov.

For more information about the Tennessee Wars Commission, please visit http://www.tn.gov/environment/history/ or call 615-532-1550.

###