Examples of Grant Applications

Less Successful Example of a Narrative/Project Summary:

The exterior of the church is in dire need of rehabilitation to ensure the long-term preservation of the historically significant wooden steeple and the original existing clapboards and woodworking.  The existing paint is peeling away, exposing the original wood to the destructive powers of the weather.  The project will include removal of existing lead-contaminated paint along the entire exterior of the building, prepping the wood for proper adhesion, and repainting it with high quality paint.  The work will be conducted in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Preservation.  Major tasks for the project include issuing a bid packet (already developed by a preservation consultant) and choosing a contractor, conducting the exterior work, and overseeing the work (in accordance with federal and state procurement requirements).  Documentation of the church's deteriorating exterior is found in Attachment 3, Photo Documentation and Attachment 7, Exterior Envelope Review.

The church, with its prominent steeple, is an icon.  The scene is the quintessential picture of the rural and historic area, with the gleaming white church situated at the apex of the town common, flanked by historic buildings that line a bustling Street.  The church and its accompanying town common are the anchor to the Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The steeple is itself significantly historic, as it is the tallest wooden pegged post-and-beam structure in the area.  The steeple can be seen towering above the existing buildings for miles away, and is used for navigation by single-engine air pilots flying through the region.  A more complete description of the historic building, including the trompe l'oeil interior and the clock system (which has been the timekeeper for the town for more than 150 years), is found in Attachment 4, Church Brochure.

The statuesque church is featured on several tourist publications, including local brochures and the websites of the Byway, the Chamber of Commerce, and the town see (Attachment 5, Tourist Publications).  The church has for several years adorned the cover of the brochure that is created by the Chamber of Commerce and distributed to visitors at the visitor center, located at the town common.  The church is a central figure in the self-guided brochure directing visitors through the Historic District.  It is arguably the most renowned building in town. 

The prominent white church immediately attracts the eye and attention of visitors, and it is the most photographed building in town.  On a January day in 2008, a preservation consultant for the congregation was assessing the continued deterioration of the church's exterior.  A fellow, camera in hand, approached the consultant and quite excitedly asked if he belonged to the church.  The consultant replied that no, he was not a member, but was a preservation consultant working with the congregation.  The visitor, obviously dismayed, then explained that the vision of this church "stopped him in his tracks," compelling him to take a photograph of the church to bring back home.  As he stated in his southern accent, "we don't have churches like this in Texas."  The man was the pastor of a church in Texas.  One can imagine the awe and wonder that the pastor would have experienced had the church been properly painted, instead of being in its current peeling and shabby condition.  As noted in the Chamber of Commerce's letter of support, workers in the visitor center daily respond to inquiries about the church and its history.

The town is a major tourist attraction in the region, serving both as the western gateway to the Byway (for those traveling Route X) and the "Gateway to the Area" (for those traveling Interstate Route X).  Downtown, its vibrant Main Street and tourist information center offer travelers the greatest array of amenities along the scenic byway.  Restaurants, shops, B&Bs are clustered here, many within historic structures.  Other necessities such as gas stations, post office, convenience and grocery stores, as well as old-fashioned hardware stores, are also located here.

Finding public parking in downtown can be difficult during the peak summer tourist season.  Several hundred thousand tourists visit the area each summer.  The neighboring town is home to a nationally recognized music festival and a museum featuring the work a prominent American painter.  Another neighboring town is the home of a premier health retreat, as well as several other prominent resorts. 

Fortunately, the town, in partnership with the Community Development Corporation (CDC), the church and local Episcopal Church, is making plans to create a new public parking area to serve those visiting downtown.  The CDC has applied for a $1 million Community Development Grant to fund the parking lot, and is confident that the application will be successful.  The new parking area is proposed to be located behind the church and will be linked to the town common via a pedestrian walkway running along the church's existing easterly driveway.  Although the paint/lead removal and repainting of the church is being prioritized to preserve the structural and architectural integrity of the building, the repainting is all the more timely and important as tourists will soon use the church driveway to visit the town common, in which the visitor center is located.

Like many of the buildings on the historic district tour, it is open to the public.  Tours of the church itself, including the historic trompe l'oeil paintings in the sanctuary, are offered on weekends.  A climb up into the steeple is offered for the brave at heart.  A preeminent classical cellist used the church for a recording session because the natural acoustics within the church are so fine.  The church's prominent location on the town green and its natural acoustic qualities offer a unique opportunity to host special tourism events. 

The church is an integral part of the community.  The church is the town's first church, established in 1778, the year after the town was incorporated.  The congregation owns the land on which the town common is located.  The church building and the town common exist under the protection of a historic preservation restriction, which prohibits the congregation from subdividing or utilizing the land for other than public use.  Church members are heavily involved in town festivals and public events, such as Founder's Weekend (the town's premier annual fall festival) and outdoor concerts and movies.  During these events, the church is open to tours and its restrooms are open for public use.

The church itself hosts public concerts, and the congregation has a great desire to increase the number and scale of the public events it offers.  Only the lack of handicap accessible toilets and a shortage of dedicated public parking have to date hindered the church's ability to expand its public visitorship.  To remedy this, the church has had a new handicap ramp designed, one that is more in keeping with the historic character of the church.  Also designed are new handicap-accessible bathrooms.  Funding for these two projects has been secured and construction is scheduled for 2008.  With the addition of the handicap amenities at the church and the addition of new public parking, the congregation is poised to expand its tours and musical venues.

This beloved historic structure is threatened by the elements not because of a lack of stewardship -- it is threatened because the long-term preservation of the facade necessitates the complete removal of the existing paint, which is several layers thick.  The bottom layers of paint are no longer adhering to the original wood, and this is what is causing the overall paint cover to fail.  This need for complete removal, which is itself an expensive endeavor, is complicated by the fact that the existing paint is contaminated with lead, doubling the cost.  As seen in Attachment 6, the congregation has to date aptly and proudly maintained their historic treasure, embarking on several preservation projects over the past several decades.  They have a strong desire to do the job thoroughly and completely to ensure the long-term preservation of the original woodworking.  However, the intensive paint removal strategy, coupled with the presence of lead in the existing paint, is the one preservation effort that is beyond their fiscal means.

A discussion of the exterior's deteriorating status and strategy to remove the lead-based paint and of the subsequent repainting of the building can be found in Attachment 7, Exterior Envelope Review.  A Preservation Restriction in perpetuity has been placed on the church's exterior and is held by the Historical Commission (see Attachment 6). 

We are requesting funds to strip and repaint the entire exterior, as this would be the most cost-effective strategy.  It also would ensure the long-term preservation of the building's envelope.  However, if grant funds are limited and cannot fully support such a strategy, we would propose an alternate strategy, focusing our efforts on Sections 1A, 1B and 3 (including the steeple) of the building.  These sections contain the most intricate woodworking and are the sides most visible to the public.  A summary and budget for this alternate proposal are found in Attachment 9.