The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) will administer a $750,000 state-funded Grant Program for 2019 to improve historic sites across the state.

The city of Selma could apply for a grant to preserve its historic area, including Boynton Street and the Voting Rights Area.

The subject is on the agenda at next Monday’s Dallas County Commission meeting at the Dallas County Courthouse.

“The city of Selma needs a historic preservation plan,” said Black Heritage Council Chair Emeritus Louretta Wimberly, a Selma resident. “The city needs to have national certification. We need to apply for the grant. We need some assistance.”

At Monday’s Boynton Street area survey, Historic Brown Chapel AME Church Pastor Leodis Strong said he needed more information to get a better understanding of the process.

Grants will be awarded to public or private entities who own and operate historic sites statewide and educational programming. Top priority goes to publicly-owned battlefields or structures constructed prior to 1,840 listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and historic school structures. The totals won’t exceed $20,000 for any one entity.

Last year, the AHC received over 100 applications that requested over $4.3 million in funding.

“The goal of the grant program is to assist historic sites throughout Alabama with both improvements as well as educational programming, which will help preserve them for future generations,” AHC Director Lisa Jones said.

Applicants must complete an official 2019 Historic Sites Grant application at https://ahc.alabama.gov/Resources/2019.

Applications must be hand-delivered or mailed to Tryon McLaney, Contracts and Grants, AHC Grants and Contracts, by Aug. 15. Faxed or emailed applications will not be accepted. Grants will be announced in October. The 2019 fiscal year starts Oct. 1 and ends on Sept. 30, 2019.