State Funds 12 Local History Preservation Grants

Indiana's Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology has awarded grants for projects across the state, including work on the Alice Dean shipwreck site.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Historical

State Funds 12 Local History Preservation Grants

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Should state government spend taxpayer money preserving historic sites and landmarks?

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology has awarded 12 grants for local history preservation projects. More than $1.2 million will go toward projects across the state, with the state contributing $656,000 alongside federal matching funds.

Why it matters

The grants support the preservation of historic buildings and sites across Indiana, from masonry repairs in several cities to research and recognition efforts. Funding for the Alice Dean shipwreck study also aims to protect a site that straddles the Indiana-Kentucky border.

The state is contributing $656,000 toward grants totaling more than $1.2 million for 12 projects across Indiana. Public comments on all projects are being accepted until the end of the calendar year, and the outcome of the funded work has not yet been determined.

The players

Indiana Department of Natural Resources

The state agency that oversees natural resources, parks, and historic preservation programs across Indiana.

Charles Beeker

A figure associated with the Alice Dean shipwreck site who hopes the new funding will help establish a living museum there.

The details

Grant projects include masonry repair on historic buildings in South Bend, Cannelton, Terre Haute, and Plymouth, as well as a study in New Harmony and a federal recognition request for a site in Fort Wayne. The Alice Dean, burned and sunk in the Ohio River in July 1863 during Morgan's Raid, is also part of the funded work, and Charles Beeker hopes the new funding will help establish a living museum at the shipwreck site.

July 1863: The Alice Dean was burned and sunk in the Ohio River during Morgan's Raid.
End of calendar 2026: Public comment period on grant projects closes.

Historical Context

The Alice Dean sank during Morgan's Raid in July 1863, and parts of the vessel still straddle the Indiana-Kentucky border today. The new grant funding extends efforts to study and preserve that Civil War-era wreckage into a potential living museum.

Residents in South Bend, Cannelton, Terre Haute, Plymouth, New Harmony, and Fort Wayne may see preservation work on nearby historic sites. Public comments on the funded projects are open until the end of the calendar year.

The takeaway

Public comment on the funded projects is open through the end of the calendar year, giving Indiana residents a chance to weigh in on how their local historic sites are preserved.