News Releases

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History has awarded grants totaling more than $78,000 to nine preservation projects in Certified Local Government (CLG) communities across the state. Amounts range from $1,743.75 for the completion of a survey report and National Register nomination for downtown Brandon to $15,083.35 to rehabilitate Aberdeen City Hall.

“We are pleased to be partnering with nine communities this year,” said CLG grants administrator Meredith Massey. “The projects will heavily focus on the rehabilitation of historic structures, professional assessments, and surveys. We look forward to assisting these communities in their preservation efforts as the year progresses.”

The 2019 grants are as follows:

Aberdeen, $15,083.75, for the exterior rehabilitation of Aberdeen City Hall.

Brandon, $1,743.75, to complete a survey report and National Register nomination for the Downtown Brandon Residential Historic District.

Carrollton, $10,000, to stabilize the chimney, install a new HVAC system, and replace broken window panes at the Carrollton Community House.

Corinth, $13,090, to install new sections of the roof membrane at the Corinth Coliseum.

Greenwood, $10,000, to repair the roof of the bell tower at Wesley United Methodist Church and conduct an assessment of the building’s education wing.

Hattiesburg, $5,000, to survey approximately 300 structures in the Arledge Subdivision and Katie-John-Dabbs Neighborhood.

Laurel, $10,000, to survey and complete a National Register nomination for an African American neighborhood southeast of downtown.

Starkville, $8,500, to develop a comprehensive survey plan and a listing of all eligible historic properties within the city limits.

West, $5,000, to conduct a structural assessment of the Masonic Lodge/West Grammar School and continue rehabilitation of the building.

The Certified Local Government program is a federal-state-local partnership designed to assist communities in dealing with diverse preservation needs through funding and technical assistance. CLG communities may apply for annual grants to undertake preservation projects of importance to the community. Grants may be used for such diverse projects as the restoration of historic buildings; historical, architectural, or archaeological site inventory work; preparation of nominations to the National Register of Historic Places; educational programs; and staff support for new historic preservation commissions.

Funding for the grants comes from the Historic Preservation Fund, a federal grants program appropriated by the U.S. Congress and administered by the National Park Service, which provides financial support to State Historic Preservation Offices—in Mississippi the Historic Preservation Division of MDAH.

To become a CLG, a community must adopt a preservation ordinance establishing a preservation commission in accordance with federal and state guidelines. Once the commission has been established, application for CLG status may be made to the National Park Service through the Department of Archives and History. MDAH works closely with local government officials and citizens to help them create and manage a workable local historic preservation program. To learn more about the CLG program, contact Michelle Jones at 601-576-6940, or visit .

The fifty-three CLG communities in Mississippi are Aberdeen, Baldwyn, Biloxi, Booneville, Brandon, Canton, Carrollton, Carthage, Claiborne County, Clarksdale, Cleveland, Clinton, Columbia, Columbus, Como, Corinth, Durant, Gautier, Greenville, Greenwood, Hattiesburg, Hazlehurst, Hernando, Holly Springs, Indianola, Jackson, Kosciusko, Laurel, Leland, Lexington, Louisville, McComb, Meridian, Mound Bayou, Mount Olive, Natchez, Newton, Ocean Springs, Oxford, Pascagoula, Philadelphia, Port Gibson, Quitman, Raymond, Senatobia, Sharkey County, Starkville, Tunica, Tupelo, Vicksburg, West, West Point, and Woodville.

Members of the board of trustees are Kane Ditto, president; Reuben V. Anderson, Jackson; Nancy Carpenter, Columbus; Valencia Hall, Natchez; Betsey Hamilton, New Albany; Mark Keenum, Starkville; Web Heidelberg, Hattiesburg; Hilda Cope Povall, Cleveland; and Roland Weeks, Biloxi.