Indianapolis, In. — Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch along with the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs announced today that two properties were awarded funding through the Historic Renovation Grant Program.
“We have 200 years of history to celebrate, and these grants will help revitalize historic properties in our state,” Crouch said. “We want people to come out and explore their downtown spaces, and having a piece of Hoosier History to visit can help spur that movement.”
Crouch said that the Historic Renovation Grant Program, in its second year, is a comprehensive grant program designed to preserve and rehabilitate historic properties in order to further incentivize downtown economic development.
Mark Banschbach was awarded a $100,000 grant to preserve the Speakman House. Located in Aurora, the Greek Revival residence has 17 rooms stretching across 7,000 square feet. In 1846, Stephen Speakman built the house on the banks of Laughery Creek, overlooking the Ohio River. The property is planned to be a social gathering place to host tours, special events and possibly a bed and breakfast.
Spinnaker Holdings was awarded a $63,000 grant to preserve the Sam Gilbert House/ Reitz Apartments in Evansville. There are two historic structures on this property, both which were built in 1863, and were later remodeled into four apartments named the Reitz Apartments. The four-unit apartment building is located in the main house and a duplex is in the carriage house.
“Restoring and protecting these historic sites help these communities attract visitors, grow their local economy and preserve a piece of Indiana history,” said Jodi Golden, Executive Director of OCRA.
Golden said both properties received a grant to fund the renovation and preservation of exterior features. Such renovations include roof replacement, masonry restoration, repair and replacement of windows, façade renovation and chimney improvements.
Eligible properties for this grant program must be at least fifty years old and either listed on the register of Indiana historic sites/structures, be listed or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or be listed as a contributing resource in a National Register District. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and can be submitted at any time. For more information, visit www.in.gov/ocra/hrgp.
