The second round of funding to support historic preservation in the rural communities of the Genesee Valley is now available thanks to the National Park Service’s Paul Bruhn Rural Revitalization Grant Program. Letchworth Gateway Villages (LGV), along with the Landmark Society of Western New York and the Rochester Area Community Foundation, contributed a portion of matching funds securing this opportunity for the region. Local governments, non-profit and commercial property owners, and small businesses in the Genesee Valley are encouraged to apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to preserve the historic places that make our villages unique.
Since LGV won funding from the USDA for the Rural Economic Development Innovation (REDI) Initiative in 2019, the group has brought together a diverse network of 38 organizations across five counties, all with the common goal of establishing the Genesee Valley as a sustainable outdoor recreation and heritage tourism destination. The Valley is uniquely poised to become such a destination, with assets like Letchworth State Park, Genesee Valley Greenway State Park, historic districts, and hundreds of miles of trails, but previously lacked the funding and regional collaboration to capitalize on this potential. It is through the work of LGV — and stakeholders like the Landmark Society and New York State Parks — that the rural Genesee Valley attracted new investment and funding opportunities, such as this grant. Round 1 recipients include the Palmer Opera House in Cuba, Epworth Hall in Silver Lake, the American Hotel in Lima, the Mills Mansion in Mount Morris, and the Mackenzie House in Belmont. More information is available on the awarded projects from the first round here.
Second round applications for the Genesee Valley Rural Revitalization Grant Program (GVRR) will be due on March 31, 2022. The Landmark Society is hosting informational webinars on this opportunity on Thursday, December 9th and Monday, January 24th. To register for either webinar visit https://www.landmarksociety.org/GVRR; for more information on the grant program, contact Megan Klem, Preservation Planner, at mklem@landmarksociety.org.