Pitt, Heinz History Center among organizations getting state grants to preserve historical documents
Mar. 4—Pitt, the City of Pittsburgh and the Heinz History Center are among the organizations receiving grants from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission to help preserve the documents in their archives.
Thirty-one Historical & Archival Records Care grants totaling nearly $200,000 are being distributed around the state to help organizations to "improve the preservation and accessibility of historically significant records maintained by local governments, historical societies and academic institutions," according to the Commission.
Pittsburgh is getting an $8,016 grant to digitize and rehouse 24 volumes of city council minute books from 1816 to 1877 and to digitize 109 volumes of minutes and legislation from former municipalities annexed by the city.
The University of Pittsburgh will receive a $4,958 grant for its Archives & Special Collections. The Senator John Heinz History Center will get $4,910 to preserve important documents in its collection.
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy will receive a $13,000 grant to preserve records related to Fallingwater — the Fayette County home designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935.
The competitive grants are awarded after a review by the Pennsylvania State Historical Records Advisory Board. Organizations eligible for grants of $5,001 or more must have matching funds to receive the money.
The other historical organizations in western Pennsylvania receiving grants include:
—Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden: $4,991
—Butler County Historical Society: $5,000
—Indiana University of Pennsylvania Research Center: $4,608
—Venango Historical Society: $5,000
—Donora Historical Society: $5,000
—Washington County Historical Society: $4,996
Grants also were awarded to:
—Bedford County Archives: $3,350
—Bucks County Historical Society: $12,925
—The Mill at Anselma Preservation and Educational Trust: $3,645
—Piper Aviation Museum Foundation: $5,000
—Hershey Community Archives: $2,180
—Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society: $13,278
—Lackawanna County Historical Society: $4,250
—LancasterHistory: $4,669
—Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center: $3,585
—Moravian Historical Society: $5,000
—Christ Church Preservation Trust: $13,000
—Drexel University Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships: $13,590
—Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site: $5,000
—German Society of Pennsylvania: $5,000
—Grand Army of the Republic Museum: $5,000
—Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia: $13,000
—Pennsylvania Horticulture Society: $5,000
—South Asian American Digital Archives: $5,000
—Wagner Free Institute of Science: $5,000
—Meyersdale Public Library: $5,000
—Knoxville Public Library: $5,000
Tony LaRussa is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tony at 724-772-6368, tlarussa@triblive.com or via Twitter .
