Great American Treasures Museum Alliance Grant

Click here to download the Grant Application

Click here to download the fillable Excel file to accompany the application

Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives, located in Honolulu, is awarded $12,900 for its project, Past Forward:  A Digital Reimagining of Hawaii’s History

As stewards of one of the world’s largest archives of printed materials in the Hawaiian language, the Mission Houses site is boldly moving forward with technology-enhanced storytelling.

Interactive displays – with user-driven content – will bring stories of Native Hawaiians, working class immigrants, and missionaries to life.  The displays will include 3D renderings of cultural artifacts, rare documents, historical portrayals, and audio recordings.

The site of the two oldest houses in Hawaii, this GAT property was once headquarters for the Protestant missionaries who were sent in 1819 to introduce Christianity and literacy to the native people.  Many of the state’s 29 Dames, descendants of these early missionaries, volunteer at the site.

By illuminating personal and cultural stories often overlooked, this project will expand the knowledge about our 50th state and its rich contributions to America’s story.

Stenton, also known as the James Logan Home in Philadelphia, is receiving $12,900 to support a video, “The Women of Stenton:  Dinah, Deborah, and the Dames”

“The Women of Stenton” is the capstone to the Pennsylvania Society’s new docuseries, “For the Common Good.” There are now 10 films highlighting the contributions of women to the founding of our nation with names and stories which have seldom been acknowledged.

The video format will enable this series to be seen in person, plus educate vast audiences over streaming and social media platforms.

This final film focuses on the women who have preserved Stenton across the centuries . . . from Dinah, an enslaved woman who, freed in 1776, saved the house during the Revolution; to Deborah Logan whose early 19th century diaries preserved memories from earlier generations; to Mary Chew who convinced fellow Dames in 1899 to take on stewardship of the property; and to all the Dames since who support this landmark house and its place in America’s history.

Travellers Rest Historic House Museum, in Nashville, is awarded $9,200 for a new exhibit, Following Emancipation:  The History of the Overton Family

Committed to telling the stories of all who lived at Travellers Rest, this project adds that of Emmaline Overton and her 9 children who, once freed, left Tennessee and settled in Texas.

It is a remarkable narrative, demonstrating perseverance against nearly insurmountable odds.

Fifth generation descendent Roscoe Overton, age 90, has compiled the family’s information.  Katie O’Bryan, the museum’s Executive Director, will travel to Austin to photograph places of importance to the family and interview Mr. Overton.  His oral history is being supplemented by professional research into primary sources, including public records and newspapers.  DNA testing is also being used.

Panels for the exhibit are designed to be easily moved throughout the museum site, shared with community groups, and even shipped to Texas.  The Overton family history after 1865 tells not just a Tennessee story, but an important national one.

2021 Grant Awards

• Beauvais-Linden House, Center for French Colonial Life

NSCDA-MO  (Medium)
Award: $5,000
Project: Linden/Hands-on House Fencing Replacement

• Joel Lane Museum House

NSCDA-NC (Large)
Award: $5,000
Project: Joel Lane Museum House Interior Paint Analysis

• McAllister House Museum

NSCDA-CO (Petite)
Award: $5,000
Project: Sustainability Based Horticulture Initiative

• Webb Deane Stevens Museum

NSCDA-CT (Medium)
Award: $5,000
Project: Mobilizing Educational Programs: George Washington Really Did Sleep Here!

2022 Grant Awards

• Craik-Patton House

NSCDA-WV (Medium)
Award: $12,500
Project: Rear Gallery Restoration and Damage Mitigation

• Historic Indian Agency House

NSCDA-WI (Petite)  **state society dissolved: historic site remains GAT member
Award: $12,500
Project: Remediation and a Road Map: Meeting Critical Preservation Needs

2023 Grant Awards

• Hermann-Grima House

NSCDA-LA (Large)
Award: $10,000
Project: Restoration of Wooden Balconies on Enslaved Quarters

• Hoover-Minthorn House Museum

NSCDA-OR (Petite)
Award: $10,000
Project: Water Damage Restoration and Painting House Interior

• The Powder Magazine

NSCDA-SC (Large)
Award: $5,000
Project: Restoration of Forged Iron Door and Surround

2024 Grant Awards

• Andrew Low House Museum

NSCDA-GA (Large)
Award: $9,500
Project: Sarah and Amy Low Portrait Conservation

• Mount Clare Museum

NSCDA-MD (Medium)
Award: $9,000
Project: Assess Twenty Paintings with Conservation of Three Works

• Peachfield

NSCDA-NJ (Medium)
Award: $6,500
Project: Stabilize and Conserve Rare 1782 Bed Rug for Peachfield’s Tricentennial

2025 Grant Awards

• Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives

NSCDA-HI (Petite)
Award: $12,900
Project: Past Forward:  A Digital Reimagining of Hawaii’s History

• Stenton

NSCDA-PA (Large)
Award: $12,900
Project: The Women of Stenton: Dinah, Deborah, and the Dames video

• Travellers Rest Historic House Museum

NSCDA-TN (Large)
Award: $9,200
Project: Following Emancipation:  The History of the Overton Family exhibit

TOTALS through 2025:

$130,00 in grant funds distributed
5 grant cycles
15 grant awards
15 different state societies
3 membership sizes: 6 Large; 5 Medium; 4 Petite