2005 Cost-Share Grant Awards -
Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program

(Released: July, 2005)

This is always an exciting time of year at the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, for it is the time when the program’s annual cost-share grants are awarded.

This year, 10 new projects were selected from a total of 19 eligible applications submitted. As in previous years, the amount of grant funding requests far exceeded the amount of funding available, but a rating system that prioritizes transportation-related properties, properties listed on state and national historic registers, and other factors, guided the total award of $114,200.

The 10 new projects represent the dedicated initiatives of 10 individuals, organizations, and communities to preserve and protect a variety of important historic Route 66 resources. In geographic order, from east to west, projects awarded cost-share grant funds are:

1) The restoration of the historic post-and-cable guardrail along a 2.2-mile-long segment of Route 66 in Lexington, Illinois. This stretch of abandoned road is currently being rehabilitated by residents and the City of Lexington for use as a walking and biking trail.
2) The rehabilitation and repair of the façade and roof of the Palms Grill Café, in Atlanta, Illinois. Long-term plans for the Palms Grill call for its return to use as a café.
3) The replacement of the roof and electrical system upgrades for the Eisler Bros. Store in Riverton, Kansas. The store operates much as it did historically, selling penny candy and ice-cold pop to Route 66 travelers.
4) The repair of deteriorated sections of the Brush Creek Bridge in Cherokee County, Kansas. The bridge is the last Marsh Arch-style bridge remaining on Route 66.
5) The replacement of the roof and electrical system upgrades for the Seaba Station in Chandler, Oklahoma. As well, the stations historic privy, complete with cast-iron toilet seats, will be restored. The station currently operates as an antique store and a popular stop for Route 66 travelers.
6) The repair of the roof, siding, windows and doors of the Round Barn in Arcadia, Oklahoma. This icon of the route operates a museum on the first floor, while the second floor is used for dances and other community celebrations.
7) The restoration of the Nob Hill and Premiere Motel signs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. These signs will join several others that have been restored along New Mexico Route 66 in recent years.
8) The Route 66 Oral History Project, which will involve interviews with Route 66 archivists and community experts, and the organization of an oral history workshop in 2006.
9) The preparation of a National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Submission for the Holbrook Historic Transportation Corridor District, in Arizona. Up to 24 Route 66 properties will also be nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. Designating Route 66 through Holbrook as a historic district will facilitate the City’s initiative to revitalize downtown and to promote tourism. Listing eligible properties on the National Register of Historic Places will provide property owners with an opportunity to take advantage of tax incentives for building-preservation projects.
10) A Historic Structures Report for the Casa de Adobe in Los Angeles, California. The Casa de Adobe served historically as a museum on Route 66. The report will help guide preservation decisions to return this unique building back into an educational and entertainment facility.

Since its inception in 2001, the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program has assisted with 61 projects in the eight states through which the route passes, providing $928,000 of federal funds toward historic Route 66 projects. Add to this an additional $818,000 provided by grantees in cost-share match and the result is nearly $1,746,000 total investment in the corridor through the grant program to date. While many of the individual grants are small, the collective impact is substantial.

With each new preservation project that is undertaken – whether small or large – new ideas, energy, and momentum are brought to Route 66 that helps to enhance the communities living along Route 66 and to protect the legacies of the corridor for present and future generations.

To learn more about the grant program, or about Route 66 in general, Program Manager Michael Taylor and I invite you to contact our office through our website at www.cr.nps.gov/rt66, or by telephone at 505-988-6701. We would be happy to talk with you!

Kaisa Barthuli
Assistant Program Manager
Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program