Historic Harmony has received a $72,902 Keystone Historic Preservation grant from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission to replace badly-worn windows at the museum's historic buildings as well aesthetic improvements to Stewart Hall.

HARMONY — The keeper of the borough's history has received a large grant that will help it make much-needed repairs and aesthetic upgrades to its century-old structures.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission awarded Historic Harmony a $72,902 Keystone Historic Preservation grant.

The money will be used to replace badly-worn windows at the museum's historic buildings as well as make aesthetic improvements to Stewart Hall.

“The Harmonists put in windows in the first decade of the 1800s, and then some time later, we don't know exactly when, they replaced those windows with standard windows that were available but not architecturally correct,” said Rodney Gasch, president of Historic Harmony. “We're putting in windows that are the original Harmonist design.”

In addition to replacing the windows, Historic Harmony will be improving the exterior of Stewart Hall, to make it look more aesthetically appealing and in-line with the historic qualities shared by much of the borough.

“Like a new skin on an existing structure,” Gasch said.

All grants required a 50-50 cash match, though work can begin before all the money is matched, Gasch said.

He said no work will start until fall at the earliest. Historic Harmony is still raising money to make that match.

“We're in the middle of a campaign that's going well,” Gasch said. “We probably need to raise another $50,000. We're optimistic that with the grant it'll be easier to raise money from corporate and foundation sources.”

In total, the PHMC awarded $1.275 million in Keystone Historic Preservation grants across 28 organizations in 19 counties.

“We are pleased to support these important projects in 19 counties across the commonwealth,” said PHMC Executive Director Andrea Lowery. “The selected projects represent the breadth of historic resources that Pennsylvanians value, from cornerstone buildings in their downtowns to covered bridges and significant archaeological sites. This investment ensures that Pennsylvania's cultural memory will be preserved for future generations.”