Mason wins $250K grant for historic preservation project

What’s happening: The years-long campaign to renovate the historic Mason Public Library has turned another page as the City of Mason secures funding to complete another rehabilitation project as part of the multi-phase effort. The Ingham County community has been pursuing renovations of the library since a Feasibility Study first launched in 2018; Phase 1 of the renovations, delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, were completed in summer 2024.

What it is: The Mason Public Library was built in 1939 and has remained open as a library ever since. The multi-phase rehabilitation of the historic building intends to restore architectural elements while ensuring the building’s utility for years to come. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 as part of the city’s Courthouse Square Historic District, which itself includes more than 150 residential and commercial buildings within its footprint.

What’s planned: The City of Mason has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the federal Historic Preservation Fund’s Certified Local Government (CLG) program, which is administered in-state by the State Historic Preservation Office. The grant awarded will be used to hire a qualified contractor to complete rehabilitation of the library’s historic windows.

In good company: Mason is one of six Michigan communities to receive a $250,000 CLG grant as announced in this latest round. Other projects receiving support include a masonry repair and rehabilitation project for the Saginaw County Fairgrounds Main Gate in Saginaw; the rehabilitation of historic steel windows at the Redford Theatre in Detroit; plans to develop historic preservation design guidelines in Battle Creek and a resource guide for historic property owners in East Lansing; and a condition assessment report for Kalamazoo City Hall.

Why it’s important: “The Certified Local Government program continues to be one of the strongest tools for supporting historic preservation projects at the local level,” says State Historic Preservation Officer Ryan M. Schumaker. “We are pleased to support this year’s awardees as they build on ongoing initiatives to document, preserve and tell the story of important historic places in their communities.”