Richland County is again making grants worth thousands available for nonprofits and other groups seeking to protect and preserve the County’s rich land and historic places.
Groups that can apply for Historic Preservation and Natural Resource Grants through the Richland County Conservation Commission include: nonprofits, neighborhood organizations, governmental agencies, commercial entities and other institutions. Both types of grants require a 20 percent match by the grantee.
Access grant criteria and applications at richlandlegacy.com through Feb. 1, 2025.
Grants of up to $50,000 are available to help preserve or restore historic buildings and cemeteries, or for educational and research projects promoting Richland County history. Examples of previous projects receiving Historic Preservation Grants include:
- Renovation of the Langford-Nord House (Blythewood Historical Society & Museum)
- Online walking tour of the Historic Elmwood neighborhood
- Upgrades to the Museum of the Reconstruction Era at the Woodrow Wilson Family Home
- Oral histories in Lower Richland and Columbia’s Waverly neighborhood
- A new roof for Columbia’s historic Town Theatre
Grants of up to $20,000 are available for building trails, water quality improvement projects, green infrastructure and environmental education programs. Natural Resource Grants, previously known as Community Conservation Grants, have gone toward:
- Educational programs at Camp Discovery in Blythewood
- Creation of bird-friendly windows and a pollinator garden at Richland Library Ballentine
- Replacement of trail bridges at Harbison State Forest by Eagle Scout groups
- Improved access to the Wateree Passage of the Palmetto Trail
- Enhanced water quality testing in the Gills Creek Watershed
To find out more about historic and conservation grant opportunities in Richland County, contact John McKenzie at mckenzie.john@
