STANWOOD — About 12 years ago, members of the local historical society were ecstatic about drumming up $1.2 million to revive a former Oddfellows hall that had fallen severe disrepair.
Re-branded the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center in honor of a generous, since-deceased donor, the renovated building got steady use as a rental for weddings, concerts and exhibits.
A year ago, a serious problem came up: a leaky wall was allowing water to pour inside. The moisture puddled, threatening the whole structure.
That might have been the end of the story, without a Snohomish County heritage preservation grant. Approved last year, the $30,000 grant paid for almost half the cost of fixing the wall.
“We’re very appreciative of the grant that Snohomish County gave us and appreciative our membership and community for supporting it also,” said Dan Lien, the Stanwood Area Historical Society’s vice president. “If we hadn’t done the repair, the building was in jeopardy because there was water coming into the walls.”
Work started over the summer and finished in the fall.
The Floyd is only the most recent project to benefit from the county’s Community Heritage Program.
A year earlier, the county awarded $10,000 to pay for interior renovations at the North Creek Schoolhouse in Bothell’s Centennial Park.
Usually, the grants get awarded in smaller amounts averaging about $3,500, said Wendy Becker, the county’s economic and cultural development manager.
Past awards from the program have helped historical societies to digitize old newspaper collections and museums to archive materials. Public education, training and exhibits also are eligible for the grants.
“We want to support projects that promote the community’s access to our county’s history,” Becker said.
The program was created by state law and funded with fees the county auditor collects on recorded documents. Nonprofits and local governments are eligible to receive them.
The county’s Historic Preservation Commission recommends how to distribute the money.
This year, the county has about $100,000 for the program, Becker said.
The deadline to apply is Monday, March 9, at 5 p.m.
Applications are available at http://bit.ly/1AUru9B or by contacting the Office of Economic Development at 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, M/S #411, Everett, WA, 98201.
Projects must be completed by Dec. 15.
For more information, contact Wendy Becker at 425-388-3186 or wendy.becker@snoco.org.
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