SMITHFIELD – The North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office has announced $9,172,500 in federal grant funding to 22 historic preservation projects in 18 counties to provide recovery assistance for historic properties, including archaeological sites, damaged by Hurricanes Florence and/or Michael that are listed or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. One of the recepients is The Hastings House in Smithfield.
The Hastings House, built around 1840, is an excellent and early example of the transition from Federal style to Greek Revival, and exhibits in both the interior and exterior numerous character-defining features of the mid-1830’s period. The $178,674 grant will allow the Town of Smithfield and Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation perform roofing, masonry, carpentry and electrical repairs, interior finishes and storm window installation.
Funding from the congressionally appropriated Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund (ESHPF) administered by the National Park Service (NPS) allows the State Historic Preservation Office (HPO) to provide grants tied to historic properties in these counties that FEMA declared eligible for federal disaster funding. The program is designed to address historic property needs unmet through other funding sources (FEMA, insurance, etc.).
Local governments and non-profit organizations were eligible to apply for the grants to fund repairs or resiliency planning and surveys to help our state’s cultural resources be better prepared for future events.
“This program provides much-needed funding to not only help repair irreplaceable historic properties after storm damage, but to help local governments and non-profit organizations better prepare for future disasters,” said Reid Wilson, secretary of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. “These funds will help to ensure our state’s treasured cultural resources are included in future resiliency planning efforts.”
The federal grant establishing this program comes from the $47.8 million appropriated by Congress through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) for assistance to communities impacted by Hurricanes Florence, Michael and Typhoon Yutu. The HPF uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, providing assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars.
