Need help preserving a historic building in Bluffton? The town may have you covered
Owners of historical buildings in Bluffton needing assistance in their upkeep may be eligible for grants from the town.
The town of Bluffton is offering Historic Preservation grants that help fund the preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of what the town calls “contributing resources” — homes, churches, schools and other resources that significantly contribute to Bluffton’s history in the Old Town Historic District.
The town currently has 84 buildings on its contributing resources list, but only owns a small handful of them, according to Glen Umberger, the town’s historic preservationist.
Owners of the historical buildings can apply for two types of Historic Preservation grants: For residential structures, up to $30,000 can be awarded, and for non-residential or commercial, up to $20,000.
The town awarded its first grant last month — $20,000 for exterior renovations to the Heyward House on Boundary Street.
“Without these resources, meaningful components of Bluffton’s history would be lost,” town spokeswoman Debbie Spzpanka said in a press release.
Some of the things the town considers when determining whether a structure is a contributing resource are architecture styles, whether the structure is connected to someone notable from Bluffton’s history, or whether the building itself is notable in Bluffton’s history.
The money comes from the accommodations tax and other sources, town officials said.
Last May, two buildings were added to the town’s list — the Jennie Kitty Municipal Building and the old Bluffton Post Office. They , were added as examples of mid-century modern architecture.
“They’re not what we would call Lowcountry vernacular by any stretch of the imagination and they’re associated with Bluffton’s history,” said Umberger.
Grant applications are available by contacting Umberger at gumberger@townofbluffton.com.
This story was originally published January 7, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
