FAQ

All applications submitted by the deadlines are considered for funding equally. As long as a qualifying application is received on time, it does not change the likelihood of whether or not it’s funded.

Hungry for History spotlights the diversity of foods across the United States embedded in community history, cultural heritage and traditions. To qualify for a marker, food dishes need to meet specific criteria.

Qualifying food must meet all the following criteria:

Prepared, ready-to-eat dishes, such as an entrée or dessert, containing a minimum of 2 ingredients or dishes composed of a single ingredient that is only found within a specific location or region (e.g. Blue Point oysters from Great South Bay, Dungeness crabs from Pacific coast); Non-alcoholic drinks with more than one ingredient (e.g. egg creams); Food-related events or festivals that celebrate an individual dish that is historically significant to the greater community (events held solely as fundraisers do not qualify) and must still be held at time of application; Food or event must be created at least 50 years prior to the year of application; Food or event must be historically significant to the greater community or beyond, demonstrating a local tradition or aspect of cultural heritage; Dish (or specific variation) must have origins in the local or regional community; Dish is still available/eaten today or in some form.

What does not qualify?

Alcoholic beverages do not currently qualify. Current brand names are not allowed (e.g. Hershey’s, Kraft, etc.). Food/dishes that are available only through commercial production, including a restaurant’s signature dish not available elsewhere, do not qualify. That said, if the dish is not a brand name it may still qualify provided it has moved beyond being commercially produced and people in the local community make it themselves.

Your marker is manufactured to last for many, many years. But did you know that regular maintenance can help extend your marker’s “like new” look for decades to come? Here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

Carefully planned placement of your marker

• Markers last much longer when they are placed in a location that minimizes the impact of the elements. Take into consideration the proximity of your planned location to roads, passing snowplows, trees, utility poles, water, etc.

Marker pole preparation

• We recommend using a piece of poly plastic between the connecting surfaces of the pole and marker. This is a simple yet effective way of keeping the surfaces from corroding together and making removal of the marker from the pole much easier if ever needed. An oversized piece of plastic can be cut, then draped over the top of the pole, and temporarily taped in place while the marker is set on the pole. Once the screws of the mount have been tightened, carefully trim off the excess plastic at the base of the marker, making sure not to cut into the coating on the pole.

Annual cleaning

• Cleaning your marker once a year with a mild mix of soap and water will extend the life of your marker. In doing so, you are removing a layer of road salt, dust, pollen, tree sap and other contaminants that will eventually degrade your marker’s coating. You may have to clean your marker more frequently if it is exposed to extreme conditions. Non-metal brushes or cloth are recommended for cleaning.

Yes! An applying agency may submit up to five (5) applications per grant round. You may also apply for multiple programs at once, including Legends & Lore®, National Register of Historic Places, and Historic Transportation.

Historic food dishes and events can still be commemorated if the location is privately owned or used commercially; however, they must be applied for through an eligible organization, and the marker must focus on the historically significant past. We will not commemorate current businesses without a qualifying historical past (see our Marker Criteria page).

Often, municipal historians or local historical organizations (or related nonprofits) will apply for a marker on behalf of the property owner. Our grants are open to all municipalities, charitable 501(c)(3) organizations, and nonprofit academic institutions in the United States. The applying agency must fall into one of these categories.

Yes. However, we often grant 30-day extensions to applicants in order to allow time to gather any additional primary sources we may request in support of your application.

Our historic marker grants are non-competitive, which means we do not limit the total number of marker grants awarded during each grant round. Applicants cannot apply for more than five (5) markers per grant round. If you have an idea for a project involving more than five markers, please contact us to discuss further.

No. The Pomeroy Foundation provides grants that specifically pay for the entire cost of the marker, pole and shipping. The grants available through our signature marker programs do not cover indirect costs. Pomeroy Foundation marker grants do not require matching funds.

Once the marker grant application is approved, you will receive an email with a Letter of Agreement to be signed electronically by an authorized representative of your organization. When this is completed, the Foundation will mail a check for the total cost to your organization, as well as information that explains how to order the marker from our foundry.

The grantee is only responsible for the installation. Local public works, highway department or civic organizations often volunteer to help with this step.

We can all agree that historic markers need to be historically accurate. The only way to ensure that is with primary sources. If the name William G. Pomeroy Foundation is on the credit line, we want to assure readers that the inscription may be relied upon without a doubt as being well-researched, well-written and historically accurate. Not only for those of us who are enjoying the markers today, but for future generations.

Please use all the real estate on the marker. The online application includes blanks with limited character spaces to assist you in determining if your proposed text will fit on the marker. We require 1 title line and 5 lines of text. A required credit line at the bottom of the marker is already included for you.

While your historical marker should be publicly visible, we strongly suggest it be installed far enough back from the roadway to mitigate the likelihood of it being struck by a vehicle (e.g. lawnmowers, snowplows, construction equipment, trucks with large payloads, etc.). It is the responsibility of the grant recipient to carefully consider the proposed marker location before it’s installed. If damage or theft does occur, please notify us by emailing info@wgpfoundation.org or calling (315) 913-4060. We will guide you through next steps.