The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) has awarded more than $599,920 to 27 historic preservation and country school projects in 22 communities across the state. Locally, the communities of Clarinda, Denison and Winterset have received a total of more than $14,000 for projects.

The Nodaway Valley Historical Museum in Clarinda was awarded a grant for $2,875 to restore and preserve the Page County Goldenrod Schoolhouse. The building is used throughout the year as an educational resource for area students and visitors to learn about the days of the country school. It educates over 5,000 visitors each year.

The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts, in Denison, was awarded a grant amounting to $1,333, so the Donna Reed Museum/Archive can properly store and organize the vast collection of her personal artifacts and provide proper storage for a growing collection of items relating to the history of Denison.

And, the Madison County Historical Society, in Winterset, was awarded a DCA grant of $10,000, for a “Research Library” archive preservation project. The grant will be used to purchase archival supplies and engage a professional archivist to advise staff and train volunteers. The project will bring historically significant documents together in one location for safekeeping, making them easily accessible to researchers and preserved according to museum industry standards.