Seven projects focused on preserving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) history in Virginia have been awarded a total of $2.5 million in grant funding, with two key projects located in Central Virginia. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) and the Virginia Board of Historic Resources (VBHR) announced the recipients under the Virginia BIPOC Historic Preservation Grant Program on October 8.
The grant program, created in 2022 by the Virginia General Assembly, supports efforts to preserve and promote the history and cultural heritage of historically underserved and underrepresented communities across the state. It aims to protect significant sites and ensure that the stories of these communities are recognized and remembered.
Following a multi-step review process, DHR submitted its final funding recommendations on September 18, allocating $2.5 million across seven projects. Central Virginia’s recipients include the “Mattaponi Indian Tribe Cultural and Historical Resource Revitalization Project” in King William County, which received nearly $1 million — the largest individual award — and the “Historic Free Hill Cemetery Archaeological Study” in Fluvanna County, which received $110,490.
The remaining five funded projects are located in James City, Accomack, Southampton, and Bath counties, as well as the city of Fredericksburg. In the coming months, DHR staff will visit the selected sites and meet with recipients to begin implementation. Applicants who were not selected this round are encouraged to reapply when the next funding cycle opens in February 2026.
