Grant will help preserve historical aspects of downtown Greensburg

A new grant will help preserve historical aspects of downtown Greensburg.

Awarded to the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Westmoreland, the $23,375 Keystone Historic Preservation Grant will be used to reevaluate the Greensburg Historic District, redefine the districtwide facade design guidelines and conduct an individual building condition assessment at 221-227 S. Main Street.

“Greensburg is lucky to have so many historic assets,” Brian Lawrence, executive director of the redevelopment authority, said in a news release. “The work funded by the Keystone Preservation Grant will help the redevelopment authority ensure that we’re taking the steps necessary to preserve them.”

Among the buildings along South Main Street that will undergo a conditions assessment is the former Advance Furniture building, which sat empty since the 1980s. Structures such as the Advance building, which was home to the city’s first department store, “tie us to the history,” Lawrence said.

Another grant recently was awarded to the Greensburg Community Development Corp. for a beautification project that will bring hanging baskets, a mural and artistic elements to camouflage old utility boxes along South Pennsylvania Avenue.

The $23,400 grant was awarded by the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.

The Keystone Historic Preservation Grant is funded through the Keystone Recreation, Park & Conservation Fund with the goal of supporting projects that rehabilitate, restore or preserve historic resources that are listed or are eligible to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

“Greensburg has a rich history that has been the common thread in the strength of our community for many generations,” Sen. Kim Ward, R-Hempfield, said in the release. “These funds will not only preserve our beautiful history, but will also reinforce that sense of community pride for our residents and make visitors feel welcome in our town.”