Save America's Treasures Grant Awards

Six historic sites and collections in the Philadelphia region were among the 58 projects to receive grants from the Save America's Treasures program.

Regarding Save America's Treasures grant awards, Secretary Norton announced 58 historic projects in 29 states and the District of Columbia. "I am delighted to share in advancing the protection and preservation of this national legacy for future generations to learn from and enjoy, " Norton said. "These historic structures tell important stories of our freedom, culture and heritage. "

The local projects to be funded are (scroll down to learn more):

-Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation, Doylestown-This National Historic Landmark still produces tiles in the handcrafted tradition of its founder Henry Chapman Mercer. The 1911-1912 building is constructed of Mercer's own hand-mixed reinforced concrete and ornamented with his tiles and tile mosaics. The concrete construction contains no expansion joints, and this grant will be used to repair spalling and cracking inherent to this idiosyncratic construction method. Award amount: $240,000

-City Hall Tower Sculpture, City of Philadelphia Department of Arts and Culture-Completed in 1901, City Hall is a masterpiece of the Second Empire style and a National Historic Landmark, enhanced by 24-foot-high sculpture figure groups and massive eagles at the tower's base by the esteemed modern sculptor Alexander Milne Calder. This grant will provide conservation treatments for the Calder works. Award amount: $300,000

-Cliveden, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Philadelphia-This National Historic Landmark was constructed from 1763 to 1767 as the country house of colonial jurist Benjamin Chew, the last English Crown-appointed Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. The Battle of Germantown, which occurred in the house and on the grounds, was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. Grant funds will support the installation of a climate control system to protect the house against moisture penetration and rising damp. Award amount: $300,000

-Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary Collections, The Library Company of Philadelphia, Philadelphia-In preparation for the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin&$039;s birth in 2006, this grant will support the conservation of significant items associated with Franklin that are housed in the collections of more than a dozen institutions, including the first issue of the first edition of Poor Richard's Almanack, a Charles Willson Peale portrait of Franklin and Franklin's electrical machine. Award amount: $300,000

-Early American Sheet Music Collection, Free Library of Philadelphia, Philadelphia-This 200,000 item-collection, which includes several rare, early editions of "The Star Spangled Banner," spans three centuries and is one of the most comprehensive collections in the United States. The library will use this grant to conserve and provide appropriate archival storage for the collection. Award amount: $135,000

-Wright Brothers Aeronautical Engineering Collection, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia-Orville Wright bequeathed this collection of archival records and artifacts to the Franklin Institute upon his death in 1948. This grant will provide conservation treatments for the 300 items in the collection. Award amount: $60,000

Additional information on the Save America's Treasures program can be found on the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities Web site at www.pcah.gov, the National Park Service Web site at www2.cr.nps.gov/treasures/index.htm, or by contacting the NPS at 202-343-9570, ext.6.