SENATOR MICHAEL R. KNAPIK
BOSTON – Senator Michael R. Knapik (R-Westfield) announced today a grant opportunity offered by The Massachusetts Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission to preserve objects and sites in the Commonwealth that are significant to the history of the Civil War.
“Massachusetts played a critical role in Civil War, both by sending men and women to serve as soldiers and nurses as well as by producing arms and supplies, most notably from the Springfield Armory,” said Senator Knapik. “It is important to preserve this rich history and continue to honor the sacrifices of those who served.”
The program, a partnership of the state’s Department of Veterans’ Services, the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities and the Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, is open only to Massachusetts municipalities and non-profit organizations. The program will provide matching grants of up to 50 percent of a project’s total cost, but not exceeding $5,000.
“The preservation aspect of this outstanding project is one more example of how Massachusetts preserves the past for future generations,” said Robert von Wolfgang, Commission Chair. “It also clearly demonstrates that the Civil War is a lot closer in time than most people think.”
Eligible projects might include the renovation, rehabilitation, preservation or enhancement of existing monuments or memorials relevant to the Civil War and Civil War veterans. Proposals to construct new markers for historically significant sites will also be considered. The Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission will appoint a panel to review all applications.
“This exciting initiative is more than a preservation program,” commented David Tebaldi of the Mass. Foundation for the Humanities. “We hope and expect that it will bring communities together to explore the role that ordinary citizens all across the Commonwealth played in one of the great dramas of our shared past.”
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through May 17th, 2013. Application materials may be found on the Sesquicentennial Commission’s website: www.MA150.org.
