CCHS One of 20 Historic Sites in America Nominated for Prestigious Preservation Grant

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Image via the Chester County Historical Society.

The Chester County Historical Society has been chosen as one of 20 historic sites in the nation to compete for preservation funding during an online voting campaign.

Having been nominated by West Chester BID (Business Improvement District), CCHS would use the funding to repair its failing roof and chimneys.

To mark the upcoming 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, Partners in Preservation (PIP), an alliance between American Express and the National Trust, will award $2 million to multiple project sites that celebrate the contributions of Women on America’s Main Streets. The public will vote for their favorite communities, and those with the most votes will win a portion of the $2 million grant earmarked for pre-specified restoration.

Horticultural Hall, now part of the CCHS complex on High Street, was the site of the 1852 Women Rights Convention, the first ever in Pennsylvania and the seventh such convention in the U.S.

CCHS is spotlighting the county’s women leaders, both then and now, in their media campaign “Under One Roof.” The campaign links historic preservation to women’s contributions on Main Street America, to women fighting for human rights in 1852, to the 19th Amendment, and to the importance of voting and female leadership today.

“We need your help to save YOUR history,” said Allison Snavely, Director of Development at CCHS. “Our historically and architecturally significant building is in danger. The roof is leaking; the chimneys are crumbling. As a community, when we preserve our buildings, it says that we care. It sends the message that this place matters and the people who stood under one roof then and now have value. We need our community to vote every day so we can address these long overdue repairs.”

People can sign up and cast up to five votes daily from now through Oct. 29 by clicking here. Voters will also have an opportunity to enroll in a National Geographic sweepstakes.

In addition to the online media campaign, the Chester County Historical Society will host a Block Party and Open House on Oct. 19 from 12-6 PM. Attendance between 12 and 4 PM that day will be tracked by a PIP representative and could mean an additional $50,000 for CCHS.

“We are thrilled to invite all of our public to join in a celebration of the county’s extraordinary history and to discover how CCHS serves as a vibrant community center that connects our stories, past and present,” said Interim President Beverly Sheppard. “We want all of our visitors to engage, explore, and enjoy being part of our region’s unique sense of place.”

Click here for more information about the competition for preservation funding from the Chester County Historical Society.

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