- More than $4 million allocated to renovate and preserve Tennessee’s historic buildings
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced today the recipients of Tennessee Historic Development Grants.
“Tennessee’s historic buildings are a contributing factor to what makes our communities unique, and I applaud each of these grant recipients for taking on the task of rehabilitating and preserving these sites,” said TNECD Commissioner Bob Rolfe. “We are pleased to be a part of this program, which helps restore these structures while spurring additional economic and tourist development opportunities in each of these communities.”
Approved by the Tennessee General Assembly in April 2021, the program provides more than $4 million to projects that aim to renovate and preserve historic buildings across the state. 
The program encourages communities and private developers to invest in buildings that have contributed to a community’s history but now sit idle. These buildings can once again contribute to the economy through job creation and commercial opportunities.
The grants provide 30 percent of the funding for the building rehabilitation up to $300,000. This $4 million investment of state funds will leverage more than $14 million in private investment.
TNECD partnered with the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) to structure application requirements and review grant applications to ensure that each proposal would rehabilitate the structures while maintaining the historical integrity. The THC’s mission is to protect, preserve, maintain and administer historic places and encourage the inclusive diverse study of Tennessee’s history for the benefit of future generations.
“The staff of the THC partnered with TNECD to help ensure the success of the pilot grant program. Specifically, THC worked with TNECD staff to set standards and guidelines for the restoration of historic properties and will be responsible reviewing the completed projects,” said Patrick McIntyre, executive director and state historic preservation officer of the Tennessee Historical Commission. “Some of the applicants to the Tennessee Historic Development Grants also applied for the Federal Historic Tax Credit program that THC administers. The THC is proud to be a partner and hopes this program continues in the future.”
The grant recipients include the following individuals, developers, nonprofit or local government agencies:
Ann Alison Ventures – $300,000 to rehabilitate Peppers Market and the Joe Hershkowitz Store in Lawrenceburg, TN
AquaServe, LLC – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Tri-State Iron Works Building in Memphis, TN
B & M Investors, LLC – $36,539 to rehabilitate the Parks Belk Building in Morristown, TN
Berry Properties – $62,400 to rehabilitate Tipton-Fillauer House in Cleveland, TN
Booker T. Motel – $229,828 to rehabilitate the Booker T. Motel in Humboldt, TN
Case Enterprises – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Sanda Hosiery Mills in Cleveland, TN
City of Brownsville – $54,688 to rehabilitate the Carnegie Library in Brownsville, TN
City of Martin – $4,500 to rehabilitate the CE Weldon Building in Martin, TN
Claiborne Chamber & ECD Foundation – $110,100 to rehabilitate the Graham-Kivett House in Tazewell, TN
Coco GP – $210,000 to rehabilitate the Murphy House in Clarksville, TN
Conwood I, LLC – $300,000 to rehabilitate the American Snuff Factory Complex in Memphis, TN
Cortia Holdings, LLC – $119,990 to rehabilitate the Chandler Building in Dyersburg, TN
Deer Trail 4, LLC – $270,000 to rehabilitate the F.W. Woolworth and Company Building in Johnson City, TN
Duke Development Company, LLC – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Historic Maury High School in Dandridge, TN
Etowah Historical Commission – $13,650 to rehabilitate the Etowah Depot in Etowah, TN
Hickory Creek Capital Partners – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Daugherty Furniture Building in Clinton, TN
Historic Clayborn Temple – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Historic Clayborn Temple in Memphis, TN
KBD, LLC – $90,000 to rehabilitate the Felknor Building in Morristown, TN
Lindsey S. Bamber – $25,500 to rehabilitate the Trinity Chapel in Dayton, TN
LMD Technologies, LLC – $60,000 to rehabilitate 122 W Depot Street in Greeneville, TN
Masquerade Theatre, Inc – $30,000 to rehabilitate the Capitol Theatre in Union City, TN
MayBe Holdings, LLC – $134,237 to rehabilitate the Gamble House in Columbia, TN
Morgan County Tourism Alliance – $69,000 to rehabilitate the Tanner Store in Wartburg, TN
Robert Murry Wood III – $44,250 to rehabilitate the James Graham House in Savannah, TN
Self Tucker Properties, LLC – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Universal Life Insurance building in Memphis, TN
W2T Two, LLC – $300,000 to rehabilitate the Industrial YMCA Building in Chattanooga, TN
Awards were made on a first-come, first-served basis with a portion of the funding set aside until December 31, 2021, for projects located in Tier 3 and Tier 4 rural communities.
Various criteria must be met in order for a structure to be eligible for a grant. Eligible properties that qualify as certified historic structures are defined here.
Additional information about the grant, eligibility and application can be found here.
About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to develop strategies that help make Tennessee the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs. To grow and strengthen Tennessee, the department seeks to attract new corporate investment to the state and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. Find us on the web:tnecd.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @tnecd. Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/tnecd.
