The Ohio History Connection has awarded $187,600 in Ohio History Fund grants to 14 community history organizations in the state. Local grant recipients include the Mahoning Valley Historical Society and the Ward-Thomas House in Niles.
The Mahoning Valley Historical Society was awarded $19,000 for collections consolidation. The grant will support part of the cost of relocating more than 6,800 artifacts to a new, climate-controlled facility. The project is part of a larger initiative to house MVHS’ extensive artifacts collection in a secure, centralized facility that allows room for growth.
The city of Niles received $18,981 for accessibility improvements to its historic Ward-Thomas Home. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) project will remove barriers, while maintaining the site’s historic appearance. The 1862 house serves as the headquarters of the Niles Historical Society and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The property is owned by the city of Niles.
The Ohio History Fund is a competitive matching grants program. It’s funded by Ohio taxpayers who select “Ohio History Fund” on their state tax returns. Since the program’s inception in 2012, the fund has made 136 grants to history and cultural organizations across the state, totaling more than $1.4 million.
“The Ohio History Fund allows us to preserve and share Ohio stories by supporting history projects all over the state,” said Megan Wood, executive director and CEO of the Ohio History Connection. “Local history helps us understand where we came from and gives us a sense of identity and place, inspiring pride in our communities.”
Other recipients include:
The Alliance Area Preservation Society has received $12,700 for restoration work to the original 1827 section of the Haines House. The property, a station on the Underground Railroad, was built in stages between 1827–1842. The work was recommended in a 2021 historic preservation needs assessment and will be overseen by preservation professionals. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The American Sign Museum in Cincinnati received $7,804 for restoration and LED upgrades to nine Ohio signs in its collection. Signs for Basinger’s Jewelers of Lima and the Plaza Motel of Dayton will have their neon components restored and relit. Others will be made more energy-efficient: incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lights will be replaced with LEDs. The Cincinnati facility is the largest public museum in the country devoted to signs.
Cincinnati’s Anderson Township Historical Society received $19,000 for restoration of the chimney at the Miller-Leuser Log House. The building and chimney date from 1796. Professional historic preservationists will use period-appropriate materials to preserve the chimney and make it useable. The Miller-Leuser Log House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Chagrin Falls Historical Society has received $12,631 to digitize copies of The Exponent, a Chagrin Falls newspaper that published from 1904-1964. The paper’s copyright has been transferred to the society, and the project will follow the standards of the National Digital Newspaper Program.
The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens received $19,000 for the restoration of three cupolas. The project will assess and repair water damage, guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The building originally functioned as a dairy barn for Athens State Hospital and has been an arts center since 1978.
The Darke County Park District in Greenville was granted $17,046 for a hands-on program that teaches fourth-graders about the area’s early 19th-century history. Instruction will occur at Bear’s Mill, a working, 174-year-old water-powered grist mill. In addition, a Shawnee tribal citizen is scheduled to present the Native American component.
The Delaware County Historical Society was granted $18,611 for the stabilization and preservation of the stairs at the Meeker Homestead Museum. The project will make it safer for visitors to see exhibits on the 1823 homestead’s second floor.
The Kenmore Historical Society in Akron was awarded $6,677 for rotating exhibits. The historical society, which lacks a permanent home, is collaborating with the Better Kenmore Community Development Corporation to provide exhibit space. Together, they will host a series of changing exhibits.
The Medina County District Library received $18,723 for the digitization its aerial photos collection. The project will digitize 2,000 negatives taken of Medina County between 1952 and 1965 when the area was much more rural.
The Noble County Historical Society in Caldwell was granted $3,919 to replace a furnace and air-conditioning system at its Historic Jail Museum. The new unit will help stabilize temperature and humidity levels in the 1882 building, and provide a better environment for artifacts, staff and volunteers.
The Oberlin Heritage Center received $9,956 for sustainable climate control at the historic Monroe House. Unreliable climate control had caused an unstable collections storage environment and made the second floor of the 1866 house uncomfortable for staff and volunteers.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton received $3,552 for conservation of the first functional orthopedic knee brace, which was developed in 1969 for New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath. The object, which was patented by Dr. Jack Castiglia of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, is a prototype for knee braces prescribed in orthopedic therapies today.
The Ohio History Fund makes grants to help support local history and historic preservation-related projects in communities throughout Ohio. For more information, visit ohiohistory.org… or contact the Ohio History Connection’s State Historic Preservation Office at sh**@oh*********.org. For more information on the Ohio History Connection, visit ohiohistory.org….
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