Earlier this month, volunteers in South Bend helped plant over 1,200 native plants to establish front and side landscaping at the Poledor House, a c.1913 home moved to the city’s Chapin Park Historic District by Indiana Landmarks in 2024. Led by Spaulding Restoration, the volunteer group learned about native landscape design and considerations for converting a lawn to a nativescape. Indiana Landmarks thanks The Botany Shop for offering discounted plant stock and Spaulding Restoration for donating time and expertise. Following the Poledor House's relocation last summer, Indiana Landmarks is completing restoration of the home in preparation for its use as a Designer Show Home in summer 2026 when it will also be up for sale. Read more about the home's history and its original location at https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2024/05/relocation-will-save-outstanding-craftsman-house-in-south-bend/ 📷: Todd Zeiger #indianalandmarks #savingmeaningfulplaces (fb)

📢 ACTION ALERT: Protect Federal Funding for Historic Preservation Historic preservation is a powerful economic and cultural catalyst that directly benefits communities around Indiana, but proposed cuts to federal funding are placing vital programs in profound jeopardy. Current federal funding for historic preservation—approved by Congress in October 2024—has not been released, prompting uncertainty and potential disruptions to important preservation programs. Even more concerning, the Administration’s proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year effectively eliminates the federal Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), raising serious concerns about the future of the program and its impact on historic preservation efforts around the country. LOCAL IMPACT In Indiana, the HPF supports projects that enhance and strengthen communities, including National Register nominations, grants for revitalization initiatives, and critical funding for the state’s Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology (DHPA), which faces sweeping layoffs. Without necessary funding, these programs could grind to a halt, leaving existing projects in limbo. While federal funding for historic preservation fuels programs in communities of all sizes, these proposed cuts will have an outsized impact on rural areas and small towns. More than $570,000 in funding for preservation is on hold in Indiana, delaying projects to rejuvenate historic landmarks in Pendleton, Bremen, Plymouth, Howe, and other communities. Furthermore, without DHPA staff to review and administer federal programs, more than $40 million in local investment through the Historic Tax Credit program could stall. Historic tax credits—federal tax incentives for rehabilitation and reuse of historic buildings—have leveraged millions of dollars in private investment in cities and towns around the state, including recent transformational projects in Fort Wayne, Marion, Wabash, Jeffersonville, Elkhart, and Valparaiso. To be clear, Indiana risks losing money Congress has already allocated, investments that our communities are counting on to restore and revitalize historic places. Money appropriated for the Historic Preservation Fund does not come from state or federal tax revenue, but from a dedicated federal trust fund—paid for with lease revenue from energy companies drilling for oil and gas on offshore property under federal jurisdiction. Preservation is nonpartisan, and protecting federal preservation funding and historic tax credits should be about more than policy; it should be about prioritizing and protecting historic places as valuable economic assets and cultural touchstones for future generations. TAKING ACTION FOR INDIANA Indiana Landmarks is advocating vigorously at the federal level for Congress to release previously allocated funds and to maintain full funding for the Historic Preservation Fund in 2026—and we will continue to do in support of historic preservation across the state. ➡ Support our work by donating or becoming a member of Indiana Landmarks today: https://www.indianalandmarks.org/join-give/ ➡ Share this post on social or share the link to this information on our website: https://www.indianalandmarks.org/2025/05/protect-federal-funding-for-historic-preservation ACTION AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL ➡ Make sure your federal legislators recognize the critical role federal preservation funding plays in creating and sustaining vibrant communities. For additional context, see what national preservation organizations are saying about cuts to federal funding: National Trust for Historic Preservation 🔗 https://savingplaces.org/action-center/updates/speak-up-for-federal-historic-preservation-investment National Preservation Partners Network 🔗 https://prespartners.org/joint-advocacy/ National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers 🔗 https://ncshpo.org/ Preservation Action 🔗 https://preservationaction.org/ ______ 📷 Historic Indiana properties that have benefited from the Federal Historic Tax Credit: Federal HTC Investment Overview courtesy National Trust For Historic Preservation (photo 1). American Factory, Valparaiso courtesy RATIO (photo 2). Bottleworks Hotel, Indianapolis by Lee Lewellen (photo 3). Hotel Elkhart, Elkhart by Evan Hale (photo 4). Ridley Tower, Marion courtesy Halstead Development (photo 5). Electric Works, Fort Wayne courtesy Electric Works (photo 6). Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor, Columbus (photo 7), Eagles Theatre, Wabash (photo 8 ), French Lick Springs Hotel (photo 9), and McCurdy Hotel, Evansville (photo 10) by Lee Lewellen. (fb)