On February 19, 2026, the Minnesota Historical Society announced the newest recipients of 38 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Large Grants (each $20,000 and more), totaling $4,668,796 in 21 counties. The West Concord Historical Society was more than excited and honored to receive the largest grant awarded this year, $348,914.00. The grant is the culmination of the Historical Society’s long term efforts to secure monies to put a new flat roof over the 1936 PWA gymnasium/auditorium portion of the Museum. As you might expect, flat roofs face challenges in Minnesota winters including water pooling, ice damming, and heavy snow loads. In the past few years many repairs have been made to the gymnasium’s flat roof due to leaks. Sometimes those leaks threatened museum artifacts and the Board of Directors knew the roof needed to be replaced as soon as possible. In order to be eligible for the large grant, a series of small grants preceded it. The first small grant paid museum consultants to determine if the West Concord School Building would be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Fortunately, they found it was. The second grant hired the same museum consultants to complete what is now a very complex application for placement on the National Register. In 2021 the museum was placed on the Register. The next required step was to have a Conditions Assessment. To that end another grant provided dollars for a group of architects and engineers to examine every nook and cranny of the school building. Their recommendations included a list of priorities to be addressed in order of urgency. It was no surprise that the flat roof was listed at the top of the building needs. The last forerunner grant was procured to hire Collaborative Designs, Inc. of Minneapolis to draw up construction documents for the roof. The plans included a premium 40 year extra durable membrane as roof covering and a cost estimate. At last, everything that was needed to apply for the large grant was in hand. The Museum applied for the grant in 2024, but the amount requested was so sizable that the State Historical Society suggested that the Museum reapply the following year, offering the largest match of dollars that could be managed. Historical Society members and the community at large came to the rescue and an amazing $100,000 match was raised. Members’ and community donations, generous donations from the K.D. Nelson Estate and the West Concord Historical Society Foundation, and a substantial donation from an anonymous donor made the match possible. The Museum applied again in 2025 with the match in hand and jubilantly received the grant. The roof is now out for bid and sometime in the summer or fall you will see cranes at work at the Museum getting that new roof in place. The West Concord Historical Society cordially invites you to stop by and watch the process.
