Grants could help owners preserve historic properties
Mar. 19—A federal grant could help property owners contribute to Muskogee's historic appeal, grant coordinators and historians say.
Neighbors Building Neighborhoods received a Paul Bruhn Historic Vitalization Program grant through the National Park Service in 2013. This allowed NBN to offer Muskogee Historic Revitalization Subgrants to qualifying property owners in five designated historic districts.
"It's meant to increase the livability of housing stock in Muskogee," said program coordinator Rachel Atherton. "It's going to instill a sense of pride in the community. I know for a fact people come to Muskogee, and they want to look at one of the historic buildings."
Neighbors Building Neighborhoods will host two information sessions for qualified applicants. Workshops will be 1:30 p.m. Thursday and 6:30 p.m. March 26.
"We've sent invitations to every one of the eligible properties in these historic districts," Atherton said.
The five designated districts are:
* Founders Place: Bordered by Martin Luther King, 12th Street, Court Street and 17th Street.
* Kendall Place: Bordered by Okmulgee Avenue, 11th Street, the alley between Okmulgee Avenue and Boston Street, to the alley between Kendall Boulevard and 11th Street, to Elgin Street, to 14th Street to the south property line of 203 S. 14th St., then to along 16th Street to Okmulgee Avenue.
* Bacone College Historic District: Encompassing the Bacone campus on Old Bacone Road.
* Pre-Statehood Commercial District: Bordered by Main Street, Broadway, Second Street and Okmulgee Avenue.
* Depot-Freight District: Bordered by Columbus Avenue, Main Street, Elgin Avenue and Fifth Street.
"We have two mainly residential districts in Muskogee, Kendall Place and Founders Place, and each of those has a ton of buildings in them," Atherton said. "A lot of those are going to be contributing properties to the historic integrity of the district, meaning they've been repaired to meet the Secretary of Interior standards."
Melony Carey with Muskogee Historic Preservation Commission said preserving historic homes costs a lot of money. For example, she said it has long been estimated that restoration of the Fite Mansion, currently underway at 16th and Emporia streets, could cost at least $1 million.
"If that were true, then the grant could go a long way toward helping that become a reality," she said. "To really get some quality work done probably requires help for a lot of these homeowners."
The grant also could help restore smaller properties that have fallen into disrepair, Carey said.
"They may look like eyesores, but they are actually a beautiful part of the history of Muskogee," she said. "If they are not restored, what happens then? We can't have a historic neighborhood full of vacant lots."
Atherton said this is the first time NBN has received such a grant, she said.
"Specifically, this grant is used for the revitalization, refurbishing or repair of exterior of historic properties within historic districts in Muskogee," she said.
Property owners in these districts can check the NBN website to see if their property is eligible, Atherton said.
Atherton said eligible projects could include "repair or replacement of roofs, front facades, porches, foundations, windows, and other exterior restoration; remediation of hazards such as lead paint, asbestos, or mold; commercial property interior restoration/rehabilitation; pre-development/professional services, such as architectural and engineering, not to exceed 20% of the total project budget; and life safety/code-compliance measures."
The federal grant is named in honor of the late Paul Bruhn, a Vermont preservation advocate. It is design to foster economic development in rural communities through rehabilitation of historic properties.
