Joan Krahmer Historic Preservation Grant

The Joan Krahmer Historic Preservation Grant honors a community advocate for historic preservation, providing matching funds up to $4,000 for eligible property owners in Hillsboro. Grants support projects like preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of historic features, with a focus on improvements visible from public areas. Applications are accepted year-round, with decisions made within two weeks. This initiative encourages the maintenance of local heritage while allowing property owners to enhance their historic homes.

NOTE: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30). Each applicant will be notified within two weeks of their application submittal if a grant is to be awarded.
Purpose
Joan Krahmer was a lifelong resident of Hillsboro who grew up in the historic Orenco neighborhood. She was an excellent steward of her home, the Edward Schulmerich House on East Main Street at Sixth Avenue. Joan Krahmer was a member of the Historic Landmarks Advisory Committee and a strong advocate for preservation of history and historic structures.
Established in her memory, Krahmer Grants are non-competitive matching grants, intended to partially reimburse costs of eligible improvements. Successful applicants will be notified of the award, but payment will be contingent on completion of the specified improvements, and documentation of expended costs, in a manner satisfactory to the City.
Types of Eligible Projects
Preservation: Maintenance and repair of existing historic materials. Examples: roof and foundation repair, siding repair, painting and power washing.Restoration: Removal of non-historic features and repair or replacement of deteriorated historic features with similar materials. Examples: removal of vinyl siding and replacement with wood siding, repair of historic wood windows, replacement of broken window lights.Rehabilitation: Alterations or additions sensitive to the properties historic character to meet continuing change and uses. Examples: additions for increased accessibility or to meet modern building code, addition of storm windows for efficiency, addition of elements for adaptive reuseReconstruction: Re-creation of lost historic material when documentation is available (i.e. historic photographs). Examples: reconstruction of ornamentation documented in historic photographs, reconstruction of a lost historic business sign
Funding
Matching grants are available in the amount of up to $4,000 per property. Funding is awarded as available and recipients are reviewed in the order their applications are received.

Eligibility

Owners (or their authorized representatives) of sites on the Hillsboro Cultural Resource Inventory are eligible to apply. Only one grant can be awarded per fiscal year for any one property. Properties are eligible to reapply after one fiscal year (i.e. owners can receive a grant every other fiscal year).Projects must be completed by the end of the fiscal year (June 30) in which the grant was awarded.Any of the improvements listed under “Types of Eligible Projects” is eligible for a grant. Grantees will be reimbursed for 50% of eligible project costs, up to a maximum of $4,000.

Ineligibility

Government agencies are not eligible to apply.Any work not completed during the award time period may not be reimbursable.Work undertaken prior to finalization of the grant agreement is ineligible for reimbursement.