Several projects approved in Arlington’s inaugural round of historic preservation grants may need some more time to wrap up.
The Arlington County Board on Saturday will consider extending agreements with five projects that were among the first to receive county dollars last year from the Historic Preservation Fund. The grant recipients originally agreed to finish by June 30, but due to “unpredictable delays,” a county report recommends pushing back the deadline to Dec. 31.
The following entities are asking for extensions:
- The owners of the Fraber House, who received some of the most substantial funding: a $50,000 grant to help restore and preserve the Cherrydale home built in 1913
- George Mason University, which is developing a database of documents related to Black demographic shifts and migratory trends in Arlington
- The Green Valley Civic Association, which is highlighting local landmarks that contribute to Arlington’s African American culture with signs, tours and workshops
- The Dominion Hills Civic Association, which is creating three historic markers near the former location of the Febrey-Lothrop Estate, or Rouse estate — a site demolished for new single family homes, to the chagrin of some local preservationists
- The Lyon Park Citizens Association, which is preserving a century of historical materials at the Lyon Park Community Center and installing signs related to the life of Indigenous writer, activist and local resident Zitkála-Šá
Extending these projects will have no impact on county spending. Per a proposed amendment to the grant agreement, any funds not spent by the end of the year will return to the county.
Arlington approved a total of 12 historic preservation grants through the Historic Preservation Fund, meant “to provide a unique opportunity to invest in the future of preservation in Arlington County.”
“From big picture storytelling and research projects to individual building preservation, this inaugural group of Historic Preservation Fund recipients demonstrates the breadth of Arlington’s unique history and many ways we can preserve our story for generations to come,” County Manager Mark Schwartz said in October.