The National Park Service (NPS) awarded Ohio History Connection $160,453 through the Historic Preservation Fund Grants-in-Aid program (CFDA 15.966) under the Underrepresented Community Grant Program (URC) initiative. This Project Grant, awarded September 24, 2025, with an ultimate completion date of April 30, 2029, supports survey and research activities for the preparation of a National Register of Historic Places nomination focused on African American historic resources in Ohio. The URC program specifically aims to diversify nominations submitted to the National Register by documenting properties and communities currently underrepresented in the register.
Under this grant, Ohio History Connection, serving as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), will conduct comprehensive historical survey and research work that will result in at least one new or amended nomination to the National Register of Historic Places documenting African American historic sites and resources within Ohio. The project deliverables include identification, evaluation, documentation, and preservation planning activities that will expand the historical record and recognition of African American heritage sites in the state's historic preservation framework.