Southwest Georgia Regional Commission Awarded $750,000 National Park Service Grant To Revitalize Rural Historic Landmarks Across 12 Counties
CAMILLA, GA — The Southwest Georgia Regional Commission (SWGRC) has been awarded a $750,000 Historic Preservation Fund grant by the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Department of the Interior, under the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program.
The grant will establish the Southwest Georgia Rural Historic Revitalization Program (RHRP), a major preservation initiative designed to protect endangered historic structures, stimulate rural economies, and preserve regional heritage across 12 southwest Georgia agricultural counties: Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth.
Under the program, SWGRC will competitively award $600,000 in direct physical preservation subgrants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to between 8 and 12 historic properties. Eligible properties must be listed in or formally determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and located within communities of under 50,000 residents.
"This federal investment allows us to inject crucial capital into downtown anchors across Southwest Georgia," said Barbara Reddick, SWGRC Deputy Director and Project Director. "By rescuing turn-of-the-century civic buildings, depots, and downtown storefronts from water infiltration and structural decay, we are not only preserving our rich rural history, but also creating space for new retail, local jobs, and heritage tourism."
All rehabilitation work supported by the program must strictly adhere to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and include baseline preservation covenants to ensure long-term site maintenance. Priority will be given to projects that adaptively reuse vacant spaces for commercial or civic purposes, while utilizing local trade contractors and material suppliers.
The subgrant application process will open this year, the first year of the four-year grant period. SWGRC will host public workshops and pre-application information sessions to assist local municipal leaders, non-profits, and historic property owners throughout the application lifecycle.
About the Southwest Georgia Regional Commission (SWGRC):
The SWGRC provides comprehensive regional planning, housing assistance, grant administration, and economic development services to 14 member counties and 43 municipalities in Southwest Georgia.
Funding Acknowledgment & Disclaimer:
This program is supported in part by a Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant from the Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, under Grant Award No. P26AP01682. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of the Interior.
