Hurricane Harvey Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund Grant Program
In 2019, the National Park Service (NPS) awarded Texas a $12,518,047 Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund grant for historic preservation projects. The emergency grant program will address damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is managing the grant program for the State of Texas.
The Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (HIM ESHPF) grant program is competitive. The THC awarded grants to the qualified applicants listed below, and will coordinate with grantees and the NPS.
These emergency grants do not require matching monies. Certain project costs are paid as a reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred by the grantee. Projects funded under this program constitute “undertakings” as defined by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (54 U.S.C. 306108), and all projects receiving repair assistance must enter into a preservation agreement or preservation easement as part of accepting the grant award. Additionally, if a property is not listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the time of a grant award, a nomination must be produced, reviewed, and accepted by THC staff before final project costs are reimbursed.
Types of Preservation Grants
Examples of eligible activities for emergency grant funding include:
- Recovery and repair of historic properties (i.e., stabilization, restoration, or preservation);
- Survey and inventory of historic-age properties to determine National Register eligibility, degree of damage; and,
- Provide preparedness for future disasters, which can include planning and historic preservation educational activities.
Programmatic Agreement
Hurricane Harvey-damaged properties are now being prepared for evaluation through a multi-step environmental process. The first evaluation projects will go through is the Section 106 review process of the National Historic Preservation Act. Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of their undertakings on historic properties. The THC invites comments regarding the grant program and individual projects as they complete the selection process. Properties undergoing evaluation are found in the Projects Preliminarily Awarded Funding table below. Please direct any comments or questions to program coordinator, Lisa Hart.
The THC can evaluate the proposed projects due to efforts by the NPS, which has been in consultation with grant recipients and preservation partners as described in 36 CFR Part 800 (Section 106). A Programmatic Agreement (PA) has been developed to direct the necessary Section 106 activities related to this program. The NPS has worked to ensure those with an interest in the historic resources within the affected disaster areas were included in the discussions. The PA reflects comments received from concurring parties, the primary grantee, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. This is the fully executed Programmatic Agreement.
Projects Preliminarily Awarded Funding
| City | County | Project Name | Brief Project Description | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giddings | Lee | Lee County Courthouse | Repairs to address water infiltration | $250,000 |
| Anderson | Grimes | Grimes County Courthouse | Repairs to address water infiltration | $250,000 |
| Galveston | Galveston | Ashton Villa | Water mitigation and drainage system | $250,000 |
| Corpus Christi | Nueces | Old Nueces County Courthouse | Stabilization plan and structural assessment | $150,000 |
| Huntsville | Walker | Austin Hall, Sam Houston State University (SHSU) | Replace roof system, enlarge scuppers, waterproof cupola and foundation | $250,000 |
| Huntsville | Walker | Sam Houston Memorial Museum, SHSU | Waterproof exterior subgrade, install French Drain | $102,831 |
| Luling | Caldwell | Zedler Mill Bank Reclamation & Stabilization | Restore and stabilize 575 feet of San Marcos River Bank | $250,000 |
| Houston | Harris | Magnolia Brewery Building | Repair/replace material basement and 1st floor | $250,000 |
| Huntsville | Walker | Peabody Memorial Library, SHSU | Waterproof foundation, install French Drain, repair windows | $247,300 |
| Galveston | Galveston | Galveston City Hall | Repair sills/ lintels/windows/ finishes, repoint | $250,000 |
| LaGrange | Fayette | St. James Episcopal Church | Bell Tower structural and material repair, site drainage | $179,726 |
| Houston | Harris | Architecture Center (AIA) | Design/construct enhanced flood mitigation | $249,567 |
| West Columbia | Brazoria | Varner-Hogg Plantation Historic Site | Structural assessment, stabilization, drainage | $250,000 |
| Bastrop | Bastrop | Bastrop County Courthouse | Tower restoration, mold remediation | $250,000 |
| Rockport | Aransas | Fulton Mansion State Historic Site | Site repairs, mechanical repairs, replicate historic interiors | $250,000 |
| Bastrop | Bastrop | Bastrop Historic County Jail | Structural study, mold/lead/asbestos abatement | $241,000 |
| Bellville | Austin | Bellville Turnverein Pavilion | Replace roofs, weatherproof cupola, ADA compliance | $248,161 |
| Rockport | Aransas | Bracht House | Balcony reconstruction, paint | $250,000 |
| Elgin | Bastrop | Mary Christian Burleson House | Repair structural damage, roof, windows, doors | $158,968 |
| Rockport | Aransas | Rockport School | Replace damaged windows | $250,000 |
| Houston | Harris | One Main Building, Univ Houston-Downtown | Design basement flood mitigation, install 1st floor flood mitigation | $250,000 |
| Palacios | Matagorda | Luther Hotel | Replace and level foundation, repair windows, walls | $202,834 |
| Gonzales | Gonzales | Crystal Theater | Replace damaged material | $90,107 |
| Houston | Harris | Schlumberger Well Servicing Corp Building | Patch and replace roof | $250,000 |
| Victoria | Victoria | Welder Center for Performing Arts, Victoria College | Replace roof, mold remediation, exterior stabilization | $242,550 |
| Multiple | Jefferson | Jefferson Co. Survey Plan, Hist Survey, Pres Plan | Conduct county-wide historic survey | $249,913 |
| Bellville | Austin | Austin County Courthouse | Repair/replace roof penthouse | $124,186 |
| Multiple | Multiple | Texas Dance Halls Survey and Disaster Planning | Assess weather risk and damage, id resilience needs | $225,400 |
| Victoria | Victoria | First Church of Christ, Scientist | Replace roof | $224,329 |
| Baytown | Harris | Congregation K'Nesseth Israel | Repair windows, walls, floors, repoint | $145,307 |
| Beaumont | Jefferson | Jefferson Theater | Repoint, repair organ | $169,679 |
| Galveston | Galveston | Congregation Beth Jacob | Repair roof, finishes, electrical | $111,660 |
| Port Arthur | Jefferson | Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site | Structural assessment of seawall, design work | $249,000 |
| Galveston | Galveston | Rosewood Cemetery | Engineering analysis, drainage | $250,000 |
| Multiple | Multiple | Building Sacred Places | Resiliency roadmap for houses of worship | $247,700 |
| Rosanky | Bastrop | Jeddo School | Site/structural evaluation/stabilization | $200,000 |
| Houston | Harris | Houston Light Guard Armory (Buffalo Soldier Museum) | Repair upper parapets, windows, doors, drainage, cast stone and brick | $250,000 |
| Hallettsville | Lavaca | Lavaca County Courthouse | Refinishing 3rd floor offices | $63,184 |
| Bayside | Refugio | Wood Mansion | Straighten, repair, weathertight | $250,000 |
| Total funds recommended: | $8,373,401 | |||
Alternate Projects:
| City | County | Project Name | Project Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | Harris | Fire Station #3 | Replace roof, 2nd floor restoration |
| Corpus Christi | Nueces | Ritz Theater | Repair roof, condition assessment, restoration plan |
| Refugio | Refugio | Anaqua Home | Porch repair to storm standards |
| Galveston | Galveston | Scottish Rite Temple | Repair roof, walls, windows |
| Houston | Harris | Sociedad Mutualista Obrera Mexicana (SMOM) | Repair roof, structural damage |
| Beaumont | Jefferson | Caroline Gilbert Hinchee House | Temporary roof, weatherization, stabilization drainage |
| Brookshire | Waller | Waller County Museum (Donigan House) | Flood assessment and mitigation, structural work |
| Multiple | Multiple | Freedom Colonies strategic & tech plan | Plan and test methodology for integrated engagement and survey |
For more information, call the THC’s Division of Architecture at 512-463-6000, or email program coordinator, Lisa Hart.
512.463.6000
