The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership last week put out a news release, recommending historic churches along the Mother Road apply for grants from the National Fund for Sacred Places.
The grant helps with training, planning grants, technical assistance, capacity-building support and capital grants of up to $250,000 to congregations of all faiths for rehabilitation work on historic facilities.
The National Fund for Sacred Places grant may be able to assist in funding:
- Urgent repair needs that are integral to life safety;
- Projects that improve the usability or ADA accessibility of the property;
- Renovation projects that support important community outreach.
“Historic places of worship helped shape the character of our communities along historic Route 66,
therefore, they should be preserved to help tell the full American story.” Route 66 Road Ahead
Partnership Chairman Bill Thomas stated. “This is one more tool Route 66 preservationists can use to help fund local projects as we approach the 100th birthday celebration in 2026.”
Letters of intent for the grant are due Feb. 24. The National Fund for Sacred Places grant is made possible through Lilly Endowment Inc. The National Fund for Sacred Places is a program of Partners for Sacred Places in collaboration with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Established in 2015 with the support of the National Park Service and the World Monuments Fund, the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership’s mission is to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national and international icon through partnerships focused on promotion, preservation, research and education, and economic development.
(Image of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Route 66 near Hamel, Illinois, by jaygannet via Flickr)