This program is made possible by generous funding from Stephen and Sherry Schafer and Liz’s Antique Hardware.
According to a 2020 Congressional Research Service study, less than 8% of roughly 86,000 sites included on the National Register were associated with African American, American Latino, Asian American, American Indian, and other Indigenous communities.
Underrecognized California: A Program to Encourage Inclusive Historic Designations
Underrecognized California
A Grant Program Supporting Designation
Underrecognized California provides grant support for the nomination of new sites to historic registers that reflect that diversity and variety of California’s cultural heritage.
The program provides a student with paid experience and mentorship to prepare a nomination of historic sites that are statistically underrepresented in our local, state, and national registers. A student is employed as an intern with an experienced firm or consultant. The student’s work is paid for their work, and 100% of the grant funds go directly to paying the student.
We are accepting site nominations from the entire state of California at all proposed levels of designation, including local, state, and national register nominations. Preference will be given to site nominations for state or national designation.
What is the Need?
Who should apply. Advocates, site managers, or site owners interested in designating an underrecognized historic site. Examples of underrecognized sites could include (but are not limited to) historic places associated with American Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, African American, Indigenous, and Asian American communities.
What Needs Does this Program Address? This program addresses the dual needs of both communities and students representing diverse communities by funding historic designations that recognize underrecognized communities and their untold stories.
Who Benefits? Our endeavor is aimed at changing the course of a young professional’s life and leading significant cultural resources into a successful stewardship model. The benefits to the community at large include a more holistic and integrated approach to the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of sites that represent the history of people from all levels of the economic ladder and all cultural backgrounds. The immediate effect of the project serves the stewards and owners of the built resource as well as the employed student. However, studies have shown that significant buildings in diverse communities can impact the success or failure of the community at large. For example, 75% of people who visit a church are not members of the congregation. This “economic halo” extrapolates to impact the people who walk through the neighborhood, who live down the street, and who experience the building from their cars.
Applicant Information
Applicants. The program is open to community groups, building or site owners or managers, non-profit organizations, and individuals who want to pursue historic designation of their sacred site, community building, or other public structure such as a school or library. There are no limitations on the type of site or ownership; however, only applications that have express owner consent or do not require owner consent for nomination will be considered.
Sites can qualify if historically significant at the local, regional/state, or national level. Preference will be given to sites of state or national significance, though local nominations will also be considered.
Students enrolled in in a historic preservation, urban planning, public history, architectural history, or related fields will be chosen to complete the nomination under the supervision of a firm or consultant selected by the California Preservation Foundation. Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of CPF Trustees as well as colleagues from the field of historic preservation and architecture in California.
Student Employment. One student selected for the program will have their work funded through the Underrecognized California grant, which will be distributed to the student by the firm. The position may be completed either remotely, or on-site at the selected firm’s offices.
Timeline & Deadlines
Applications will be accepted on an annual basis and reviewed by a selection committee composed of CPF Trustees as well as colleagues from the field of historic preservation and architecture in California.
Deadlines
- February 11, 2025: Application Opens
- Friday, March 28, 2025: Application Deadline
- Late April: Announcement of Grant Recipient
- June – October 2025: Research and writing of nomination
- November 2025: Submittal of draft nomination to review agency
Contact Us for More Information
Information
For more information, please visit our website at californiapreservation.org, email cpf@californiapreservation.org, or contact us at 415-495-0349.
Site Application
Due on Friday, March 28, 2025.