Tennessee Wars Commission Opens 2025 Grant Cycle for Civil War Sites Preservation Fund

The Tennessee Wars Commission, a division of the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC), has announced the opening of the 2025 grant cycle for the Civil War Sites Preservation Fund (CWSPF), set to begin on August 11. This year, $3.2 million in funding will be available to support the preservation of Tennessee’s most significant Civil War and Underground Railroad sites.

Established in 2013, the CWSPF is designed to aid in acquiring and protecting properties tied to the 38 most historically important Civil War sites across the state. The fund also supports preservation efforts for Underground Railroad locations eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or designation as National Historic Landmarks.

Eligible applicants must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The grant operates on a one-to-one matching basis, requiring grantees to provide 50 percent of the total project cost from non-state sources.

Over the past 12 years, more than $20 million from the program has helped preserve nearly 1,000 acres of battlefield land across Tennessee. In 2024 alone, the fund awarded nearly $1.94 million, preserving 81.4 acres at sites tied to battles including Wauhatchie, Chattanooga, Shiloh, Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville.

Applications must be submitted digitally by October 31, 2025, through the SmartSimple platform at tdec.smartsimple.com. For more information on the Tennessee Wars Commission and past grant recipients, visit tn.gov/historicalcommission. Questions may be directed to Nina Scall, Program Director, at Nina.Scall@tn.gov.