Howard County Historical Society Receives Grants to Support Museum Preservation Efforts

The Howard County Historical Society has recently been awarded two grants to support its ongoing preservation efforts and museum operations.

One grant was awarded by the Arkansas Community Foundation through its Texarkana Area affiliate, while the second came from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism.

The historical society received a $1,500 Giving Tree Grant from the Texarkana Area – Arkansas Community Foundation. The funds were used to purchase new signage for the 1912 E.A. Williams Chapel Museum, located at 200 West Hempstead Street in Nashville, and the Old Nashville City Hall and Fire Station at 117 West Sypert Street.

The Texarkana affiliate of the Arkansas Community Foundation was organized in 1986 and serves nonprofit organizations in both Texas and Arkansas, including Little River, Hempstead, Howard and Sevier counties. Each November, the foundation awards an average of $80,000 in Giving Tree Grants to support local projects and organizations.

Howard County Historical Society Treasurer Tim Pinkerton also announced the organization had received a $2,500 Small Museum Grant from the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. Historical society President Freddie Horne said the funds will help cover utility expenses for all five buildings in the museum system.

The Small Museum Grant program is designed to support the development and sustainability of small museums throughout Arkansas. To qualify, museums must be open at least 90 days each year and employ at least one staff member with museum training, knowledge and experience. The Howard County Historical Society meets those requirements through curator Susan Nannemann, who has 10 years of museum experience.