Congratulations to Pierce County Heritage League members: Historic Fort Steilacoom and University Place Historical Society!

Washington Trust for Historic Preservation Announces 2012 Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund Grant Awards

Grants Assist Local Preservation Projects Throughout State

Seattle - Each year, through the Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation provides grant funding to organizations across the state engaged in preserving local historic resources. From schoolhouses to courthouses, agricultural to industrial, funding through the program assists preservation projects where they really happen – at the local level. Recipients of the 2012 Valerie Sivinski Washington Preserves Fund grant awards were announced on Thursday, December 15th at the Washington Trust Holiday Party. The Washington Trust was pleased to announce awards to the following organizations:

 Historic Fort Steilacoom Association - $500 to paint the officer’s quarters present at the fort. Dating to the 1850s, the four structures represent several of the earliest buildings remaining in the state and are part of the Fort Steilacoom Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

 The University Place Historical Society - $1,000 to help restore the deck on the National Register-listed Curran House. Once threatened with demolition, the Curran House now sits as a wonderful example of mid-century residential architecture.

Since 1998, the Fund has awarded 90 projects totaling nearly $80,000 in funding to local historic preservation organizations and advocates engaged in the important work of preserving Washington’s cultural heritage. While priority is given to bricks and mortar rehabilitation of historic resources, eligible projects have also included preservation planning and interpretation of important sites around the state.

Funding for the grant program is obtained from private donations to the Trust with the goal of providing a minimum of $10,000 in grant funding per year. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation is a statewide, tax exempt 501(c) 3 non- profit organization founded in 1976 to safeguard Washington's historic places through advocacy, education, collaboration and stewardship.

For more information, view their website at www.wa-trust.org or call 206-624-9449.