Viets’ Tavern, in East Granby, Connecticut, part of the Old Newgate Prison & Copper Mine and the first state prison in North America, helps tell the story of the incarcerated population before 1800 and the role of incarceration in the nation’s founding/Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development

Ten million dollars has been awarded in the second round of funding from the National Park Service's Semiquincentennial Grant Program commemorating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Created by Congress in 2020 and funded through the Historic Preservation Fund, this round of grants will support 20 cultural resource preservation projects across 14 states.  

“The Semiquincentennial is an opportunity for the nation to recognize and reflect on the diverse cultures, events, and places that have helped shape our country,” said  NPS Director Chuck Sams. “Through the Semiquincentennial Grant Program, the National Park Service is supporting projects that showcase the many places and stories that contributed to the evolution of the American experience.”  

This year’s grants will support projects like: 

• Rehabilitation of Viets’ Tavern in East Granby, Connecticut. Captain John Viets, appointed warden of the Old Newgate Prison in 1773, built the tavern in 1755 less than ten yards from the front gate of the prison. Much like other taverns of the time, it was an important place for political exchange in the community. Preserving Viet’s Tavern will tell a more complete history of the United States by focusing on the role of incarceration in the founding of our nation and the incarcerated population before 1800. 

• Rehabilitation of Ephrata Cloister in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. German immigrants fleeing religious persecution in Europe founded the community of Ephrata Cloister in 1732 where they practiced a lifestyle of discipline and self-deprivation. Grant funds will support the preservation of this architecture through the rehabilitation of exterior components on six of the 18th century buildings including the repair, replacement and protective finish of hand-hewn wood siding and side-lap shingle roofs. Grant funds will also support updates to the National Historic Landmark documentation for the property. 

• Pre-preservation planning for Pictograph Cave State Park in Billings, Montana. Recent radiocarbon dating suggests the oldest deposits within the caves date to approximately 4,000 years ago, and that they were frequently occupied by Native people into the late 1700s. Within Pictograph Cave are more than 100 elaborate painted figures, one of which was dated to 2,145 years B.C., making it one of the oldest motifs recorded on the Northern Plains. This grant will support pre-preservation work, including a condition assessment, mitigation planning, and creation of a site plan.  

You can find the complete list of grants here.