City Receives Grant Funding

The city received a grant of $11,500 this week from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD). It was part of the Certified Local Government program under OPRD’s State Historic Preservation Office.

Work on the grant began last year, as the city’s Historic Review Board (HRB) solicited applications for projects that would be eligible for the funding. Applications were submitted and evaluated by the HRB, with the help of City Council and Planning Commission members.

Two projects ultimately qualified for the grant funds. The first was for preservation and repairs for the masonry walls for the 1905 bank building originally constructed for the World’s Fair that currently houses Pheasant Run Winery.

The second was for roof repairs to the historic Walter Fry House located downtown. Both buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Funds from the grant allocation will go to the property owners to reimburse them for the costs of the restoration projects.

“The city would like to thank its volunteers on the Historic Review Board for their work on this grant application,” City Recorder W. Scott Jorgensen said. “All of the work that has been done on these important buildings will help ensure that the city continues to be a destination for tourists who are interested in the area’s unique history.”