This week, it was announced that a southeastern Minnesota project has received funding through the state’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund grant program.

A history grant of $10,000 has been awarded to the Henry S. Plummer House in Rochester for the preservation of the estate’s on-site water tower. According to the grant, the funds are designated to allow the Rochester Parks and Recreation Department “to contract with qualified professionals to prepare construction documents for the preservation of the […] water tower.” The Henry S. Plummer House has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

“This is great news for southeastern Minnesota and the community of Rochester,” said Senator David Senjem (R-Rochester). “The Plummer House has been a fixture of Rochester for nearly a century and represents the rich history of our city. This is exactly what these funds are intended to do – preserve our state’s storied history for the next generations.”

In 2008, voters in Minnesota passed the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment, known as the ‘Legacy Amendment’, to the state constitution. The amendment increased the state sales tax to fund initiatives aimed at protecting drinking water, enhancing and restoring habitat, preserving arts and cultural heritage, supporting parks and trails, and ensuring Minnesota’s bodies of water remain clean.

Grants are awarded from a legislative appropriation for the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund “for history programs and projects … or for activities to preserve significant historic and cultural resources”. The Minnesota Historical Society, which is responsible for awarding the grants, distributes funds based on extensive public input and a rigorous grant application process.

Senator David Senjem, of Rochester, represents Dodge and Olmsted counties in the Minnesota Senate. Senator Senjem serves as chairman of the Senate Capital Investment Committee and is a former majority leader and minority leader.