In August, Friends of Gem Theater was awarded a $3,750 matching grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Grant funds will be matched by the nonprofit for a total of $7,500 and will be used for historic preservation experts to develop a Preservation Treatment Plan for the building.
The plan will identify character-defining features and provide specific work recommendations for the treatment approach to preserve significant spaces in the building. Anticipated outcomes include an authored treatment plan by the consultant identifying the significance and determination of eligibility for the property to be nominated to the state and national register of historic places. This final product will enable Friends of Gem Theater to move forward with the property’s rehabilitation and finalize development plans. It will also aid the nonprofit with fundraising goals, in pursuit of additional historic preservation grants and capital funding.
“Organizations like Friends of Gem Theater, help to ensure that communities all across America retain their unique sense of place,” said Paul Edmondson, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We are honored to provide a grant to Friends of Gem Theater, which will use the funds to help preserve an important piece of our shared national heritage.”
Grants from the Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation range from $2,500 to $15,000. These matching grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations and public agencies across the country to support wide-ranging activities including consultant services for rehabilitating buildings, technical assistance for tourism that promotes historic resources, and the development of materials for education and outreach campaigns.
For more information on National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Johanna Favrot Fund for Historic Preservation grants, visit Forum.SavingPlaces.org/funding.
Friends of Gem Theater is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization working to “bring back the Gem Theater’s sparkle, honoring its heritage and place in Nevada history.” Friends of Gem Theater is working to rehabilitate and reopen the single-screen movie theater in Pioche. Constructed in 1937, the venue was closed in 2002. Learn more at www.gempioche.com.