September 09, 2020
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, pictured above, is one of seven Philadelphia organizations awarded Keystone Historic Preservation grants in 2020.
The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission on Wednesday announced 52 grant recipients from its Keystone Historic Preservation program, including seven in Philadelphia and several others in the region.
The grants, which require a 50-50 cash match, were awarded from among 94 eligible applications in 24 counties across Pennsylvania. They are intended to support historical and heritage organizations, museums and local governments.
Funds for the program come from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, which is supported annually from a portion of the state's realty transfer tax revenue.
In Philadelphia, the following applications were awarded grants:
• Byberry Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) - $24,500
• Carpenters' Company of the City & County of Philadelphia - $100,000
• CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia - $6,250
• Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site - $100,000
• Friends of Historic Sedgeley - $39,426
• Pennepack Baptist Historical Foundation - $10,888
• Wyck Association - $16,000
In Bucks County, Perkasie Borough received a $100,000 grant.
Delaware County's Friends of Sellers Hall received a grant for $24,752 and the Historic Lansdowne Theater Corporation received a grant of $73,832.
In Montgomery County, a $32,327 grant went to the Beth Shalom Preservation Foundation and a $100,000 grant was awarded to Friends of Nathaniel Boileau Farmstead, Inc.
"We are pleased to support these important projects from across the Commonwealth," said PHMC executive director Andrea Lowery. "It is rewarding to impact communities in 24 different counties. The selected projects represent the breadth of historic resources that Pennsylvanians value – from cornerstone buildings in their downtowns, to covered bridges and significant archaeological sites. This investment ensures that Pennsylvania's cultural memory will be preserved for future generations."
