Maine Historical Society Awarded Two Grants Towards Upgrading Environmental Systems at Longfellow House Portland, ME - Maine Historical Society is pleased to announce it is the recipient of two grants to be used towards upgrading the environmental systems at the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, a National Historic Landmark and the boyhood home of 19th-century poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. “Improving the interior environment by installing a new heating system and electronic controls is the top priority for the Longfellow House,” notes MHS project director John Mayer. “Refurbishing its heating and ventilating system will ensure the long-term preservation of both the house and the collections within.” A grant of $5,000 to begin the evaluation and monitoring process has been received from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Created in 1965, the NEH supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. “The humanities convey the story of civilization, and today's NEH grant recipients are deeply engaged in advancing that story through new scholarly research and taking important strides to preserve the material record of our history and culture," said NEH Chairman Bruce Cole. An additional grant of $30,000 has been received from the 1772 Foundation towards the design and installation of a heating and ventilating system for the house and collections. The 1772 Foundation provides grants for bricks and mortar projects. It supports restoration projects throughout the United States to preserve architectural and cultural history for future generations. In 2005, the 1772 Foundation awarded grants of nearly $2.2 million for historic preservation to 47 organizations. “We can be justly proud of the 47 projects we finally settled on, all of which are well managed and strongly in line with our mission statement,” notes Stan Geary, president 1772 Foundation. The 1786 Longfellow House, the centerpiece of Maine Historical Society’s collection, retains virtually all of its original interior features. It is furnished with nearly 1,500 historical objects that fully document 116 years of domestic life in Portland. Ninety seven percent of the objects on view belonged to the family and are original to the house. The evaluation phase of the project is scheduled to begin within a few months. For More Information: Maine Historical Society 489 Congress Street Portland, ME 04101 207-774-1822; www.mainehistory.org Maine Historical Society promotes the understanding and enjoyment of Maine history A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>