Old County Courthouse

WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY     (Washington County, Utah)

GRANTS

made by the Washington County Historical Society

In 2005, the Washington County Historical Society adopted a program to make grants available (up to $1000 each annually) to those communities who have active representatives serving on the County Historical Society Board. To date, numerous grants have been awarded to help restore, preserve and protect historical sites in Washington County.

The first grant was awarded in 2005 to the Toquerville Historical Society to buy replacement windows for their restoration project of the Historic Town Hall building, which was originally the old LDS Church in the community.

The award for 2006 was given to the Ivins Historical Society to assist in the restoration of the Historic Adobe Post Office building.

A second grant was later awarded in 2006 after Rolaine King, with the Harmony Heritage Service Organization, notified the WCHS Board of the dire need for a fence to protect the recently uncovered remains of the New Harmony Fort built by John D. Lee in 1854. During construction of the new Washington County Library in New Harmony, the foundation of the Old Fort was being destroyed by excavation work on the adjacent library property. Elaine Tyler, a member of the WCHS Board, donated $1,000 to the project on behalf of the Beckham-Ashe Foundation to help pay for the fence around the Fort to protect this Washington County treasure.

In 2007 a grant was presented to the Santa Clara Historical Society for caulking, painting and repairing the exterior of the Relief Society House on the Santa Clara Heritage Square. The building was 100 years old that year and was recognized at Swiss Days in September.

A second award for 2007 was presented to the Town of Leeds to purchase a metal historical interpretive signage plaque for the Leeds Town Hall.

The Hurricane Valley Museum received a grant in 2008 to remodel the restrooms and to repair and replace glass in the pioneer museum.

In 2008, a second grant was also awarded to Virgin to help with their Virgin Town Old Church restoration project.

In 2009, the Washington County Historical Society again awarded two grants. One grant went to the Fort Harmony Historical Society (FHHS) to help preserve the Sam Daniel Camp located at exit 33 on I-15. The FHHS will clean up the site, install a fence, picnic table and a marker to depict the history of the 1776 Expedition through that area.

The second grant in 2009 was awarded to the Washington City Historical Society (WCHS) in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Old School Building. The WCHS will use the grant to showcase the early educators and principals in Washington City with drawings, pictures, artifacts and written histories.

The 2010 grant of $1000 was given to Leeds Historic Preservation to restore the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp in Leeds.