2026 Ohio History Fund Grant Recipients Include Downtown Chillicothe

Article presented by Herlihy Moving & Storage …

COLUMBUS — The Ohio History Connection is pleased to announce that it has awarded 15 Ohio
History Fund grants to community history organizations.

Now in its 14th year, the Ohio History Fund is a competitive matching grants program that is
one of six “tax check-off” funds found on Ohio’s income-tax return forms. It is funded in part
through Ohio taxpayers’ voluntary contributions.

“The Ohio History Fund allows us to preserve and share Ohio stories by supporting history
projects all over the state,” said Megan Wood, Executive Director & CEO of the Ohio History
Connection. “Local history helps us understand where we came from and gives us a sense of
identity and place, inspiring pride in our communities.”

The Ohio History Connection awarded $194,657 in grants this year, its second highest amount
ever. Since the program started in 2012, the Ohio History Fund has made a total of 164 grants
to history and cultural organizations across the state, totaling more than $1.8 million.

Locally, Downtown Chillicothe has been granted $13,549 in funding to restore the Mail Pouch Mural facing the green space of the Majestic Theatre on the building housing The Pour House at Machinery Hall. The the historic Mail Pouch Mural, a once-common but now rare example of early 20th-century advertising art and one of the downtown’s most recognizable landmarks. The restoration will be completed by a nationally recognized specialist in Mail Pouch murals, who will recreate the design using historically appropriate methods and materials. The project will include the installation of lighting to showcase the restored mural. The grant will support the staff time, promotional efforts and the time and materials for the project’s electrician.

Other projects include:
$4,000 for Driving Forward Strategic Planning at America’s Packard Museum
$4,137 for Cleveland Heights Scanning and Conversion Initiative
$19,327 for Shore Cultural Centre Historic Preservation Restroom Rehabilitation Project
$19,237 for Dunbar Historic District—Emanual Hoover House Renovation
$19,000 for 3rd Annual Beyond the Battlefield: Native Days for 4th Graders and the Public
$15,300 for Invisible Ground in Historic Marietta
$20,000 for Historic Camp Manatoc Dining Hall Fire Suppression System in Stow
$5,194 for Digitization of 3-D Replica of Late 19th Century Loveland
$3,500 for Ferris House Museum Chimney Repair in Cincinnati
$14,293 for Legacy Revived: Exploring Stark County’s Rich Black History in Canton
$13,940 for Sauder Village Light Mitigation Project in Archbold
$16,696 for The McDonald Millworkers Trail in the Village of McDonald
$9,000 for Old Rectory Structural Support Project in Worthington
$17,574 for Mahoning Valley 250 Exhibit: A Celebration of Change-Makers and their Communities in Youngstown

Ohio History Fund grants help support local history and preservation-related projects in communities throughout Ohio. The grants are funded by Ohio taxpayers who select “Ohio History Fund” as a donation fund on their state tax returns. For just the average donation of $13, you can help repair a roof on a historic home, expand a popular history tour at a local museum and provide public access to rare museum collections. For more information about the History Fund grant program, go to ohiohistory.org/historyfund or contact the History Fund at historyfund@ohiohistory.org.