Contact: Jeff Morgan, Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov, (515) 281-3858

DES MOINES – The State Historical Society of Iowa’s efforts to preserve Iowa’s Spanish-American War battle flags and former Iowa Governor William Larrabee’s historic documents have received nearly $10,000 in grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

SHSI received a $5,000 grant to help purchase cabinets to store Iowa’s Spanish-American War battle flags, which are currently housed in display cases in the Capitol Building. SHSI staff plan to transfer the flags this spring to the State Historical Building where they will join more than 200 Iowa Civil War battle flags waiting to be stabilized, preserved and prepared for public display. The flags have suffered damage from exposure to smoke and sunlight, and the grant will help speed up the transfer process.

The second grant, $4,953, was awarded to a SHSI project at Montauk Historic Governor’s Home. Built in 1874, the Clermont, Iowa mansion was home to Larrabee and his family. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a State Preserve. The grant will be used to purchase storage shelving and preservation supplies to rehouse papers and manuscripts.

“The humanities convey the story of civilization, and the NEH grants we received will play a large part in helping us preserve valuable historic artifacts for generations of Iowans to study for years to come,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Anita Walker said. “We are delighted and thankful to the NEH for choosing to support these projects.”

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