Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants

Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC)
Amount: US $5,000 - US $100,000
Last Updated: January 19, 2026

Summary

The Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants provide funding for construction activities aimed at rehabilitating, restoring, or preserving historic resources listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This program, supported by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, is available to nonprofit organizations and local governments for small projects that enhance publicly accessible historic properties. Grant awards range from $5,000 to $100,000, requiring a 50/50 cash match.

Overview

Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants PHMC provides funding for construction activities through its Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants with revenue from the Commonwealth's Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. Funding is available to nonprofit organizations and local governments for small construction projects for publicly accessible historic resources. (Private property owners are not eligible for funding under this program and may wish to refer directly to Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit Program for information on historic tax credits.) The purpose of the grant is to support projects that rehabilitate, restore, or preserve historic resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. These guidelines address only construction-related activities. Please review the separate guidelines for the Keystone Historic Preservation Project Grants for information pertaining to the preservation projects. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission also annually uses a portion of the realty transfer tax revenue to rehabilitate and maintain Commonwealth-owned historic sites and museums. Categories Of Support There are three categories of support defined in the following paragraphs. Examples of eligible projects, interior or exterior, are provided after the definitions and apply to all three categories. Preservation The act or process of applying measures necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity and materials of a historic property. Work, including preliminary measures to protect and stabilize the property, generally focuses upon the ongoing maintenance and repair of historic materials and features rather than extensive replacement and new construction. New exterior additions are not within the scope of this treatment; however, the limited and sensitive upgrading of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and other code required work to make properties functional is appropriate within a preservation project. Rehabilitation The act or process of making possible a compatible use for a property through repair, alterations and additions while preserving those portions or features which convey its historical, cultural and architectural values. Restoration The act or process of accurately depicting the form, features and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period. The limited and sensitive upgrading of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems and other code related work to make properties functional is appropriate within a restoration project. Maximum Number Of Awards Eligible applicants may apply for only a Keystone Historic Preservation Project Grant OR a Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grant, not both. Applicants meeting the relevant eligibility requirements may also apply for support through the Certified Local Government Grant Program. Availability Of Funds Grant awards are subject to the annual availability of funds from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Funding is based on the state fiscal year, July through June. Levels of Funding Requests for funding to the Historic Preservation Construction Grants may range from $5,000 (for $10,000 projects) to $100,000 (for projects of $200,000 and over) and require a 50/50 CASH match. The Commission may, at its discretion, consider applications for grants under $5,000 and may approve partial funding for larger requests.  The Commission may also at its discretion direct additional funding, if available, to current grantees in emergency situations, such as flooding or structural failure, without exceeding the program’s maximum level of funding. Eligible Projects Work may be interior or exterior. Specific examples of fundable project work include the following: Site work - subsurface investigation, selective demolition, drainage and restoration of designed landscapes and gardens; Concrete - poured-in-place concrete, precast concrete, concrete restoration and cleaning; Masonry - brick or stone repair or replacement, repointing mortar joints and cleaning; Metals - structural metal framing and metal restoration or replacement; Wood and Plastics - rough and finish carpentry, architectural woodwork and millwork; Thermal and Moisture Protection - roofing, flashing, waterproofing, damp proofing and insulation; Doors and Windows - repair and restoration, frame repair, replacement and hardware; Finishes - lath and plaster repair, gypsum wallboard, ceramic tile, wood paneling, floors and painting; Conveying Systems - elevators; Mechanical - plumbing, fire protection systems, heating, cooling and air distribution; Electrical - service, distribution and lighting; and Accessibility improvements for people with disabilities.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Who May ApplyNonprofit organizations and public agencies that own or support a publicly accessible historic property listed, or eligible for listing, in the National Register of Historic Places, or that own or support a contributing historic property in a National Register Historic District may apply for grant assistance. Please check with the grant manager to confirm organizational eligibility.Certified Local GovernmentsCertified Local Governments and Applicants located within a CLG receive special consideration as part of the evaluation process.Colleges and UniversitiesConservanciesHistoric Preservation OrganizationsHistorical SocietiesLocal GovernmentsMuseumsReligious InstitutionsOther historical organizationsMuseums and historic sites that are owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission but operated by independent nonprofit organizations.Multipurpose Organizations. Individual subunits (e.g. Moravian Pottery and Tile Works) within multipurpose government (e.g. County of Bucks) or tax-exempt organizations may apply for grants if they function as a discrete unit within the parent organization. A subunit that is part of a larger organization will be deemed eligible if:The unit has administrative autonomy for its operations;The unit has a fully segregated and itemized operating budget within that of the parent organization;The unit is able to separately and distinctly fulfill all eligibility and application requirements as defined in these guidelines.More than one qualified subunit within a multipurpose organization may apply for funding during the same grant cycle.To apply for a Keystone Historic Preservation Construction Grant, an organization must meet the following requirements:Must be located in Pennsylvania Must have tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Service or entity of local governmentMust be incorporated and serving the public for at least five (5) consecutive years prior to the submission of the applicationMust be registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State: Bureau of Charitable Organizations, as required.The property for which funds are requested must meet the following requirements:Must be located in Pennsylvania Must be documented as being listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, either individually or as a contributing property in a National Register Historic District (Applications that do not include appropriate documentation from the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office will not be eligible for funding.).Must be open and accessible to the public on a regular basis, not less than 100 days per year. (If it is not currently accessible to the public, the applicant must include detailed plans to open the property to the public as a result of the grant.).Matching FundFunding requests require a 50/50 CASH match.Sources of the CASH match may include direct organizational funds or grant awards from private foundations, federal programs, or other state agencies.

Ineligibility

Organizations and others that are not eligible to apply include:

Museums and historic sites operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum CommissionAssociate groups at museums and historic sites operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum CommissionManagement groups at museums and historic sites owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum CommissionMuseums and historic sites operated by state or federal government agenciesAssociate groups at museums and historic sites operated by state or federal government agenciesCommonwealth-assisted libraries (Grants are available through the Department of Education.)For-profit organizations or corporationsState governmentFederal governmentIndividualsKeystone Historic Preservation Construction Grants may not be used to fund the following:

Mitigation activities performed as a condition or precondition for obtaining a state or federal permit or license.New construction and additions.Reconstruction such as recreating a building or landscape.Projects whose entire scope of work consists solely of routine or cyclical maintenance.Landscaping as part of nonhistoric site improvements including parking lots, sidewalks, etc.Archaeological excavations (Archaeology that is undertaken as part of a rehabilitation project to mitigate ground disturbing activities such as site work or foundation repair is eligible for reimbursement.).Projects which consist only of predevelopment work such as historic structure reports or construction documents (eligible activity under the Keystone Historic Preservation Project Program).Acquisition of historic properties and/or land.Salaries or wages paid to employees of the applicant are not considered to be cash contributions and cannot be included as matching funds.In-kind contributions may not be used to satisfy the matching requirement.