Contributed by: Department of Interior / National Park Service
Organization: Department of Interior / National Park Service
Dated Posted: May 20, 2026
Website: Visit External Site

The Semiquincentennial Grant Program was created by Congress in 2020 to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States by restoring and preserving sites and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places that commemorate the founding of the nation. For the purposes of this grant program, the "founding of the nation" is defined as the period ending in 1815. This end date corresponds to the defeat of British naval forces at the Battle of New Orleans and the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent by Congress. These events brought a close to the War of 1812, marking the end of military hostilities between the United States and Great Britain which had begun with the American Revolution. The founding of the nation does not have a defined starting period to be inclusive of the many cultures that combined to create the America of today.

Historic resources supported by this program may include those associated with the political ideas, well-known individuals, pivotal events, or sites of conflict typically thought of in conjunction with this period of American history. However, built resources can successfully illustrate concepts of "nationhood" and "America" regardless of where they are located. Such resources may reflect what people thought and did and lived, and thus illustrate the lifeways, folkways, foodways, people, places, events, and condition of culture and society during the formation of the country.

More Information: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservationfund/semiquincentennial.htm