HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – A project years in the making is finally making strides, as Harrisonburg Public Works has applied for a state-funded grant to help renovate and restore the historic Thomas Harrison House on West Bruce Street downtown.
Although it was revealed in 2018 through an archaeological study that the house was not built by Thomas Harrison, the city’s namesake, officials feel it still details the history of Harrisonburg at the time. During an Aug. 27, 2024 city council meeting, Harrisonburg Public Works Director Tom Hartman alongside Grants and Programs analyst Luke Morgan announced they would be applying for a VA250 Preservation Fund grant.
The $20 million grant program “supports improvements at significant historic sites and history museums in Virginia in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence,” according to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.
Hartman said there are already $1 million in funds available for the project, with $500,000 coming from the city, and the other half coming from a grant through The Community Foundation. That funding will cover the demolition of the wall with the adjacent Hall House building, and the construction of an open terrace, pictured below.
If the pre-application is approved for the VA250 grant, Hartman said the Public Works department will request an additional $3 million in their full application. Hartman said the additional funding would make way for more renovation and restoration efforts.
“That $3 million in additional funding will allow us to get inside the Harrison house and start to do historic renovations to get it to the point where the public can then enter the house and see the construction methods, the different types of uses that happened within the Harrison House as well as the terrace area on the outside that would open the exterior to the public,” Hartman said.
The department will receive word Monday on whether they have made it through the pre-application process for the VA250 Preservation Fund Grant. If chosen for the full application process, they would request the additional $3 million. If that is approved, work would begin in late 2024 and must be completed by June 2026.
Hartman also said that if the department’s pre-application is not approved, the wall demolition and open terrace construction would still take place as it is covered by the $1 million currently available.
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