Arch Street Meeting House Preservation Trust

15.904 HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANTS-IN-AID HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANTS-IN-AID ASSIST IN THE IDENTIFICATION, EVALUATION, AND PROTECTION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES BY SUCH MEANS AS EDUCATION, SURVEY, PLANNING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, PRESERVATION, DOCUMENTATION, AND FINANCIAL INCENTIVES LIKE GRANTS AND TAX CREDITS AVAILABLE FOR HISTORIC PROPERTIES. OPPORTUNITY P24AS00546 THE SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL GRANT PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE PHYSICAL PRESERVATION OF A BROAD VARIETY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUNDING OF AMERICA AS A NATION IN COMMEMORATION OF THE COUNTRY S SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL (250TH ANNIVERSARY). BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE STATES, TRIBES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AS RELATED TO STATE-OWNED PROPERTIES. THESE GRANTS FUND PHYSICAL PRESERVATION FOR NATIONAL REGISTER LISTED, STATE OWNED, CULTURAL RESOURCES RELATED TO THE FOUNDING OF THE NATION. THIS PROJECT IS AWARDED TO THE ARCH STREET MEETING HOUSE PRESERVATION TRUST TO REPLACE FAILING BOILER SYSTEM.

THE ARCH STREET MEETING HOUSE PRESERVATION TRUST, WHICH OPERATES AND PRESERVES THE ARCH STREET MEETING HOUSE ISEXCITED TO APPLY FOR THIS SAVE AMERICAS TREASURES GRANT, WHICH HAS A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER OF P23AS00499.THE ARCH STREET MEETING HOUSE IS A NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, LOCATED IN OLD CITY PHILADELPHIA. THE PROPERTY ISTHE MOST IMPORTANT HISTORIC SITE OF QUAKER HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS EMBLEMATIC OF GOVERNOR WILLIAMPENNS QUAKER IDEALS FOR WHAT THE COLONY OF PENNSYLVANIA AND LATER THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WOULD BE. THEPROPERTY IS ALSO ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND THE PHILADELPHIA REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.THE GOALS OF THIS HISTORIC PRESERVATION PROJECT AT ARCH STREET MEETING HOUSE ARE TO 1) INSTALL A FIRE SUPPRESSIONSYSTEM TO SAFEGUARD THE HISTORIC SITE FROM THE RISK OF FIRE 2) IMPROVE VISITOR SAFETY BY HAVING A FIRESUPPRESSION SYSTEM WITH WHICH TO FIGHT FIRES, THUS LOWERING THE RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH TO THE PUBLIC 3) ACHIEVETHESE AIMS AHEAD OF THE SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL OF THE UNITED STATES IN 2026 4) ADHERE TO THE SECRETARY OF THEINTERIORS STANDARDS FOR THE TREATMENT OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES TO SEAMLESSLY INSTALL THIS FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMWITHOUT DISTURBING THE HISTORIC RESOURCES OF THIS NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE PRESERVATIONPROJECT ARE TO PROVIDE A FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM TO THE BUILDING BY INSTALLING SPRINKLER PIPES THROUGHOUT THECRAWLSPACE, BASEMENT, FIRST FLOOR, SECOND FLOOR, AND ATTIC. THIS PROJECT WILL REQUIRE SEVERAL FIRE-FIGHTING WATERLINES TO BE INSTALLED, HIDDEN AND EXPOSED PIPES THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING, AND THE INSTALLATION OF TEST HEADERS ANDSPRINKLER HEADS. THE PROPOSED WORK WOULD INCLUDE A DRY SYSTEM TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST THE RISK OF WATER DAMAGE TOTHE PROPERTY. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED THROUGH FUNDING PROVIDED BY THE PENNSYLVANIAHISTORICAL AND MUSEUM COMMISSION, THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, AND PARTNERS FOR SACRED PLACES.AS A RESULT OF THAT PROCESS, WHICH WAS REVIEWED BY STAFF AT THE PHILADELPHIA HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE STATEOFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIORS STANDARDS, WE ARE NOW PERMITREADY TO BEGIN WORK ON THIS PROJECT PENDING NATIONAL PARK SERVICE APPROVAL FOR THE SAVE AMERICAS TREASURESGRANT. ONCE APPROVED, OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO START INSTALL THE FIRE SUPPRESSION LINES IN THE FALL OF 2024 ANDCONCLUDE WITH THE PROJECT IN THE FALL OF 2025, WITH PUNCH LIST ITEMS COMPLETED BY MARCH OF 2026, WELL AHEAD OFTHE SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL OF THE UNITED STATES IN JULY 2026. ONCE COMPLETED ALL VISITORS TO THE HISTORIC SITE WILLBENEFIT FROM A SAFER BUILDING EXPERIENCE. QUAKERS, HISTORIANS, THE PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING AND OTHERS WILLALSO BENEFIT FROM THIS PROJECT AS AN IMPORTANT NATIONAL SITE WILL BE BETTER PROTECTED FOR THOSE COMMUNITIES TOCONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT QUAKER HISTORY, CONDUCT RESEARCH OR CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE THEIR RELIGIOUS FAITH.

TRUTH TELLING: BLACK STORIES IN QUAKERISM [ARCH STREET MEETING HOUSE PRESERVATION TRUST (ASMHPT) STAFF WILL RESEARCH AND EXPLORE THE COMPLEX LEGACY QUAKERS HAVE WITH PEOPLE OF COLOR. AN IMPORTANT STARTING POINT WILL BE THE WRITINGS OF SARAH MAPPS DOUGLAS AND BAYARD RUSTIN, BLACK QUAKERS WHO ATTENDED VARIOUS GATHERINGS AT ARCH STREET MEETING HOUSE. OUT OF THAT RESEARCH ASMHPT WILL HIRE TWO INTERPRETERS AND A PROJECT MANAGER WHO WILL DRAFT A FIRST PERSON INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM BASED ON THE RESEARCH FINDINGS. THIS PUBLIC PROGRAM WILL BE PRESENTED TO VISITORS, ON-GOING, FROM MEMORIAL DAY, 2026-THE END OF AUGUST, 2026.]