Route 66 Cost-share Preservation Grants Awarded

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2014
Contact: Kaisa Bartuli, 505-988-6701

Arizona-California-Illinois-Kansas-New Mexico-Missouri-Oklahoma-Texas

The National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program awarded five cost-share grants to assist preservation of the special places and stories of the historic Route 66 corridor.

Historic L Motel Rehabilitation, Flagstaff, Arizona –Motels are an integral part of the Route 66 story, and as more are restored and kept in business, so is the heritage experience of the road. One property that is undergoing transformation is the historic L Motel, which has been in continuous operation since 1949. Grant funds will assist with ongoing rehabilitation of the motel, including heating and air conditioning systems.

Skylark Motel Neon Tower Rehabilitation, St. Clair, Missouri –Opened in 1952, the Skylark Motel is characterized by a two-story, Art Deco tower that once sparkled with multicolor neon lights behind glass blocks. Now operating as a VWF post, the VFW is working with the Route 66 Association of Missouri's Neon Heritage Preservation Committee to restore the glass tower to operating condition.

Route 66 Oral History Project, Greater Springfield Area, Missouri –Route 66 is a highway that tells many diverse stories of America in the first half of the 20th century. The Missouri State University Libraries will undertake a project to reveal many of the under-told stories of the Ozarks, including African American experiences of Route 66. The project will collect a minimum of 20 oral history interviews, which will be preserved and made available online.

American Indians and Route 66, IL, MO, KS, OK, TX, NM, AZ, OK –The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association will work with tribes across Route 66 to recognize and celebrate tribal history and culture along the road. Educational and travel materials will be developed for public distribution and will include information about the tribes and their cultural heritage;significant tribal-related sites to visit along the route;historical impacts of Route 66 on tribes;and the impact of tribal culture on Route 66.

Parker Through Truss Bridge No. 18 at Rock Creek, Sapulpa, Oklahoma –This site carried traffic on Route 66 from 1926 until 1952. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places the bridge has been closed to traffic since 2010. Repairs and interventions will be completed to open the bridge back up to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

The cost-share grant program provides grant assistance for eligible historic preservation, research, oral history, interpretative, and educational projects. Grants are offered through an annual, competitive grant cycle. Since 2001, 119 projects have awarded $1.7 million with $2.9 million in cost-share match, totaling $4.6 million in public-private investment toward the revitalization of the Route 66 corridor.

For more information on NPS Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program and cost-share grants, visit the program website at: https://www.cr.nps.gov/rt66