Preservation organization awarded $72,500 matching grant

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has awarded Cincinnati Preservation Association (CPA) a $72,500 Partners in the Field matching grant to expand the scope of its on-the-ground field services.

The grant will allow CPA to assist property owners, developers, and local officials in protecting and enhancing their communities.

"CPA will use the funding to expand the amount of time spent on field services and will expand its geographical range," says Bobbie McTurner, executive director of CPA.  "As Cincinnati’s suburban sprawl continues to expand, the need for rural preservation becomes ever more urgent.  CPA will continue to promote smart growth and to advocate for rural preservation."

McTurner also says that the grant will allow CPA to address issues in some of the city's West Side neighborhoods, where the non-profit historically has not had a strong presence.

"Cincinnati’s older West Side neighborhoods are threatened by demolition and new development," she says.  "With its expanded capacity, CPA will be able to work with these older suburbs, and promote preservation as a tool for revitalization and preservation of community character."

CPA has already raised $42,000, but must raise an additional $30,500 to take advantage of the grant.

CPA is one of 21 grant recipients from the $5 million, multi-year program that is funded by the Robert W. Wilson Charitable Trust and available to the more than 100 statewide and local partners of the national preservation group.

In 2008, 24 grants, totaling nearly $3 million, led to the hiring of 31 new field representatives.

"Partners in the Field grants are catalysts that spur historic preservation, economic revitalization and promote sustainability," says Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  "Grant recipients have used preservation to create innovative solutions to complex problems – with measurable impact."

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Bobbie McTurner, executive director, Cincinnati Preservation Association
Photography by Scott Beseler