In the lead up to America’s 250th anniversary, Preserving Galion, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has received a Trillium Local Activity Grant from the America 250-Ohio Commission for its upcoming project titled, “205 Years, One Family, A National Story“
The Trillium Local Activity Grants offer up to $5,000 for projects with a local or community-wide impact. These projects may include exhibitions, interpretative panels, local commemorative programs or activities, local public events, educational, public programs, and smaller digital and documentary media projects.
“The America 250-Ohio Commission congratulates Preserving Galion, Inc. on this grant award. Their efforts in educating the public and honoring Ohio’s illustrious history are deeply appreciated,” said Doug Preisse, co-chair of the America 250-Ohio Commission. “As we near America’s 250th anniversary, these projects will play an essential role in elevating our state’s history and bolstering our communities’ efforts to execute impactful initiatives during such a monumental celebration.”
Preserving Galion, Inc. was one of the 61 recipients chosen from the more than 170 statewide applications during the grant program’s spring 2024 funding cycle. In total, America 250-Ohio awarded approximately $600,000 in grants to communities and organizations across Ohio as part of the commission’s second funding cycle. Combined with the approximately $400,000 in grants awarded in January 2024, the America 250-Ohio Commission grants program has worked with Ohio Humanities to distribute $1 million in grants to 84 organizations across the state.
The grant program was designed to showcase the achievements, struggles, honors, innovations and significance of all people in Ohio since before its founding to the present day. Themes identified for Ohio’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary programming include:
● Celebrations and Signature Events: Impacting tourism and economic development
● Ohio Originals: Highlighting points of pride and unity
● Engaging Youth and Lifelong Learners: Education and scholarship
● Inclusive Statewide Engagement: Museums, arts and culture
● Telling Ohio Stories: Highlighting stories of Ohioans past and present
Preserving Galion’s grant will provide funding for a project to create the community’s first-ever museum quality exhibit focusing on the connection between over two centuries of both Gill family history and Galion history. The display will include information and unique artifacts centering on family friends Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Alva Edison and Henry Ford, as well as Gill House architect Louis Kamper, thereby providing visitors with information about the connection that Galion has with broad themes of our national story.
The Gill House, currently being restored by Preserving Galion, is the only one of only three properties in Ohio directly tied to the life of Mina Miller Edison which is open to the public, and is the only surviving Neoclassical house in America designed by celebrated Detroit architect Louis Kamper.
To learn more about the America 250-Ohio Commission’s grants program visit America250-Ohio.org/grants/.
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About America 250-Ohio
In 2026, the United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial, which is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Each state has been encouraged to create a celebration and commemoration of this anniversary to reflect the unique character and contributions of each state to the nation over the past 250 years. Ohio is fully embracing this opportunity. The Ohio Commission for the Semiquincentennial (aka America 250-Ohio Commission or AM250-OH) was created by the Ohio legislature and launched on March 1, 2022. The charge of the AM250-OH Commission is to “…to plan, encourage, develop, and coordinate the commemoration of the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United States and the impact of Ohioans on the nation’s past, present, and future.” — Ohio Revised Code (149.309). More information can be found at America250-Ohio.org.
About Ohio Humanities
Ohio Humanities is a statewide nonprofit that shares stories to spark conversations and inspire ideas by hosting programs and awarding grants that support storytellers statewide, from museums to journalists to documentary filmmakers. For more information, please visit our website at OhioHumanities.org.
