Grant funds to help replace roof on Wauneta Roller Mills

    History Nebraska has announced the recipients of  Rural Nebraska Historic Preservation grant funds, one of which is a historic building in Wauneta.
    The grants assist owners of National Register of Historic Places listed properties in Nebraska communities with populations under 30,000.
    A total of $328,000 was awarded to six communities for historic preservation projects through the grant administered by the Nebraska State Historic Preservation Office with funding provided by the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization grant.
    In Wauneta, the grant will be used towards a full roof replacement for Wauneta Roller Mills.
    Other projects in Fort Calhoun, Mason City, Niobrara, Red Cloud and Schuyler were selected as grant recipients, as well.
    The six projects were chosen from 51 applications.
    “Selecting our recipients was an extremely challenging process,” said program coordinator Betty Gillespie.
    “This program has shown that historic preservation is a valued endeavor and opportunities for it are needed in both large and small communities across Nebraska,” she said.
    Once the agreements are finalized, recipients may begin seeking bids and start their projects, she noted. Progress reports will be provided every other month with project completion dated July 2025.
    “We are excited to work with the selected applicants and bring needed historic preservation support to their communities,” said Gillespie.
    Nebraska was among 11 other applicants to receive the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants this year and the only State Historic Preservation Office to receive such funding in this round.
    A total of $7.275 million was awarded nationwide to support the preservation of historic buildings in rural communities.
    Now in its fourth year, the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants are named for a former executive director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont.
    Congress appropriates funding for various programs, including the Paul Bruhn Revitalization Grant, through the Historic Preservation Fund. The HPF uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to assist preservation projects in all states, territories, and many tribal lands.