First Church of God in Christ/Tifereth B'nai Jacob National Register Nomination
To hire a qualified historian to complete the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the 1926 First Church of God in Christ.
$5,982,000 the first year and $7,000,000 the second year are for statewide historic and cultural grants to local, county, regional, or other historical or cultural organizations or for activities to preserve significant historic and cultural resources. Money must be distributed through a competitive grant process. The Minnesota Historical Society must administer the money using established grant mechanisms, with assistance from the advisory committee created under Laws 2009, chapter 172, article 4, section 2, subdivision 4, paragraph (b), item (ii).
Available upon request. Contact: grants@mnhs.org
We achieved the short-term outcome of doing the research and completing the nomination, and we now await the determination of SHPO and, eventually, the National Register. The intermediate-term outcome of raising brick and mortar funds has begun with preliminary conversations and activities already taking place to secure funding from private sources. A grants specialist has been consulted and has developed a list of several possible funders, and congregation members have begun conversations with some. In addition, a new partnership with the Architecture department at the University of Minnesota has resulted in the development of a preliminary assessment of the restoration and maintenance work needed. The long-term impact has already begun to be felt, particularly as an outcome of a public event held in May 2023 to introduce the building to the broader North Minneapolis public and wider Jewish community in the Twin Cities. This well attended event, which included a photographic exhibit and a symposium, hosted by First Church and the University of Minnesota's UROC center, attracted over 70 community members. Growth in interest in the building and the congregation's involvement in the early development of the North Minneapolis neighborhood was clearly demonstrated by the level of enthusiasm exhibited by the participants and the feedback we received after the event. The event opened up and gave access to new areas of research among current congregation members, leading to the production of several oral histories with long-time First Church members and new contacts within the Jewish community. It also brought national leaders of the Church of God in Christ into the conversations. Our success in achieving these outcomes is due in large measure to the enthusiastic participation and dedicated work of the First Church congregation and its leadership, to the partnership with various units of the University of Minnesota, to our consultants, and to our grant program leaders.
Available upon request, grants@mnhs.org