In May, the Virginia General Assembly met for a Special Session to approve the Commonwealth’s new biennial budget. Read up on the major developments that pertain to the Department of Historic Resources.

By DHR Staff

The Virginia 250 Preservation Fund

The Virginia General Assembly has awarded the Department of Historic Resources (DHR) $20,000,000 for use toward historic preservation projects across Virginia in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the 1776 U.S. Declaration of Independence (also known as the nation’s semiquincentennial). To administer the funds, DHR has launched the Virginia 250 Preservation Fund Program, which is designed to support capital improvements at significant historic sites and history museums in the Commonwealth.

Funding for this new program was prioritized in Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent biennial budget and the 2024-2026 Virginia Biennial Budget bill. Grant recipients must provide a minimum one-third match against the requested grant amount.

Projects need not be limited to properties related to the American Revolution to apply for the Virginia 250 Preservation Fund Program. DHR invites all historic sites or museums that meet any or all of the requirements specified below to apply.

Eligible applicants for the program include nonprofit organizations that are registered as tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Code; Virginia localities as defined under Code § 1-221; and state- or federally-recognized Indian tribes in Virginia. All applicants must be the owner of the project property or be able to submit a signed letter of support from the property owner and a copy of the recorded deed.

The Virginia 250 Preservation Fund Program was created to support capital improvement projects that will foster increased visitation to Virginia for the nation’s semiquincentennial. Capital improvement projects are restricted to the following types:

• Rehabilitation and/or stabilization of a historic resource
• ADA accessibility improvements
• Infrastructure improvements to a historic site
• Site work (landscaping, parking improvements, lighting, wayfinding, interpretive signage)
• Reconstruction of a historic building
• Fabrication and installation of museum exhibits

While history museums in non-historic buildings are also eligible for funding, priority will be given to projects featuring properties listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) and/or the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), properties designated as a National Historic Landmark (NHL), or properties determined eligible for any such listing by DHR.

For more information and updates or to fill out a preapplication form, visit the program webpage here.

Other Budget Updates:

• Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program: Starting January 1, 2025, the amount of Historic Preservation Tax Credit that may be claimed by each taxpayer shall not exceed $7.5M for any taxable year. The General Assembly chose not to add a cap on the program.
• Clermont Barn: DHR received funding to construct a replacement barn at the Department’s Clermont Farm in Clarke County.
• Additional Staff: DHR has been awarded 3 full-time positions to add a Deputy Director of Programming and two fiscal positions to the team.
• Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund: $5.25M in the first year and $5.25M in the second year have been deposited into the Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund.