On Wednesday, it was announced that the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) has given out almost $2 million in grants.
The grants were distributed to 153 eligible museums and official historical societies across 58 counties, including Philadelphia, according to a release. Thirty-seven of the sites awarded are located within Philadelphia county.
“Pennsylvania’s wonderful museums and historical societies help preserve and share the state’s rich history and culture through the stories they tell,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a release.
Wolf added, “These funds, awarded to museums and historical societies across the commonwealth, will help ensure these facilities are able to continue serving as educational resources for all Pennsylvanians.”
A release explained that the goal of this program is to strengthen Pennsylvania’s museum community. The grant money will go towards the cost of the general operation of eligible museums and official county historical societies that are not supported by any other state agency funding programs.
It was reported that they must also have an annual operating budget that is over $100,000 and at least one full-time professional staff person.
“Our commonwealth is truly fortunate to have so many outstanding museums and historical societies,” Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati said in a release.
Scarnati added, “I am very pleased that once again this year, these grants will help offer assistance to historical sites so that they can continue to provide excellent educational opportunities within our communities.”
A release states that the award amounts were chosen by using an equation. The equation was based on the percentage of the previous year’s operating budget.
The minimum grant official county historical societies receive was $4,000. The maximum that any museum could receive was $40,000
According to a release, below are the organizations located in Philadelphia that received grants from the state. The amount they received is included below as well:
- Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University – $40,000
- African American Museum of Philadelphia – $27,929
- American Philosophical Society – $40,000
- American Swedish Historical Museum – $7,872
- Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust – $7,190
- Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia – $5,275
- Chestnut Hill Conservancy & Historical Society – $5,655
- Christ Church Preservation Trust – $7,576
- Cliveden of the National Trust – $4,481
- College of Physicians of Philadelphia – $40,000
- Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site Inc. – $40,000
- Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion – $4,000
- Fort Mifflin on the Delaware – $4,000
- Franklin Institute – $40,000
- Friends of Laurel Hill Cemetery Inc. – $6,680
- Germantown Historical Society – $4,250
- Girard College Foundation – $5,206
- Glen Foerd Conservation Corporation – $4,600
- Historic Fair Hill – $4,000
- Historic Philadelphia Inc./Betsy Ross House – $40,000
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $40,000
- Independence Seaport Museum – $40,000
- Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia – $13,000
- John Bartram Association – $40,000
- Museum of the American Revolution – $40,000
- National Constitution Center – $40,000
- National Liberty Museum – $27,504
- Philadelphia Fire Department Historical Corporation – $4,000
- Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks – $21,407
- Please Touch Museum – $40,000
- The Rosenbach – $16,428
- Science History Institute – $40,000
- Stenton – $4,364
- Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania – $40,000
- Wagner Free Institute of Science – $10,963
- Woodlands Trust for Historic Preservation – $4,000
- Wyck Association – $4,000
