The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced four cost-share grants totaling more than $97,000 for 2015.
Boots Court architectural neon restoration, Carthage, Missouri, $20,000 grant, $20,565 match: Built in 1939, the Boots Court Motel is an outstanding example of a mom-and-pop motor court built in the Streamline Moderne style. Once threatened with demolition, the owners are working to restore the motel to a pristine, vintage lodging experience. Through a previous grant, a 1970s pitched roof was removed to restore the property to its historic appearance. Now eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the current grant will restore the architectural neon that once adorned the building to operating condition, completing the restoration of the building exterior.
Lake Shore Motel structural rehabilitation, Carthage, Missouri, $30,000 grant, $30,800 match: The historic Lake Shore Motel (d.b.a. Best Budget Inn) was built in the 1950s, according to the prevailing plans for Best Western motels. With an outstanding view of Kellogg Lake, the two-story property retains much of its historical appearance. The bathrooms feature the original pastel tile and chrome fixtures, and the grounds include the original outdoor swimming pool common for Best Western motels of the time. The property remains in good operating condition; however, structural issues threaten its long-term viability. Grant funds will help correct problems with the foundation so the motel can continue to provide a historic motel experience.
National Guard Armory rehabilitation, Sapulpa, Oklahoma, grant: $22,380, $34,109 match: Built in 1948, Sapulpa’s National Guard Armory was home to Company H of the 279th Infantry. Sapulpa residents remember lining Route 66 from one end of town to the other to watch and wave to the company’s convoy as it made its way to Fort Sill each year and for its deployment and return from the Korean War. Situated a few hundred yards from Sapulpa’s historic Parker truss bridge over Rock Creek, the armory is vacant. With grant assistance, the armory will be rehabilitated to serve as the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum, celebrating the automobile as well as the armory and military history on Route 66.
Women on the Mother Road: interactive website and oral history project, $25,000 grant, $25,000 match: This project will focus on women’s experiences of Route 66, including African American, Hispanic and American Indian women, incorporating the experiences of the women who traveled, lived, and worked alongside the road. The evolution of the historical record to include women and multi ethnic and cultural voices makes what we know of the past and how we participate and engage with heritage sites a much richer experience. It also offers the opportunity to engage new audiences to travel, celebrate, and preserve the road. Later phases of this project may include a mobile app, a documentary film, a book and a museum exhibit. The recipient was Cinefemme of Santa Monica, California, a non-profit organization that supports female filmmakers to realize their independent, artistic film projects.
Since 2001, 122 projects have been awarded $1.8 million with $3 million in cost-share matches, totaling $4.8 million in public-private investment toward the Route 66 corridor.
(Image of the Boots Court by Tony Hisgett; postcard image of the Lake Shore Motel via 66Postcards.com)