Cost-share grants announced from Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program

The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program announced six cost-share grants for 2013, totaling about $81,000.

Since the program started in 2001, 114 projects have been awarded $1.6 million, with a $2.7 million in cost-share money from the recipient, totaling $4.3 million in public-private investment toward the preservation and revitalization of properties along historic Route 66 corridor.

Here are the 2013 grant winners:

Hilltop Motel, Kingman, Ariz. — Built in 1953, the Hill Top Motel is an excellent example of the motel experience that was common during the post-war, family-vacation boom. The grant will aid with fixing the heating, air conditioning, and roof systems.

Vic Suhling neon sign, Litchfield, Ill. — Opened in 1957, the Vic Suhling Gas for Less filling station once operated 24 hours a day. The neon sign will be restored to operating condition, in association with the adjacent Litchfield Museum and Route 66 Visitor Center.

DeCamp Junction, Staunton, Ill. — Established in 1931 as a roadhouse and boarding house, the establishment continues to operate as a roadhouse and community center. Grant funds will help replace the damaged roof and historic tin ceiling.

Santo Domingo Trading Post, Santo Domingo Pueblo, N.M. — The Santo Domingo Trading Post represents a cultural and economic crossroad for the neighboring Santo Domingo tribe and motorists. The grant funds will help with restoration of the trading post’s facade, plus aid in collecting oral histories to explore tribal perspectives on the impact of the automobile and mercantilism.

Whiting Bros. gas station signs, Moriarty, N.M. — Whiting Brothers started in 1926 as a regional chain of gasoline stations. Its distinctive red-on-yellow signs advertised the businesses. Funds will restore the signs for the only known Whiting Brothers station still in operation today.

Milan Trading Post, Milan, N.M. — The Milan Motel and Trading Post was built in 1947 by the Milan family, for which the town was named. Grant funds will help with the electrical rehabilitation of the trading post to solve serious fire and other safety concerns. Long-term plans are to restore the cabins.

The program will accept applications for cost-share grants in 2014 starting in January.

(Image of the Vic Suhling Gas for Less sign in Litchfield, Ill., by Dennis Dixson, via Flickr)

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