Applications open August 26
Charlottesville—Today, the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities announced a partnership with the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to bring markers celebrating cultural heritage and traditions to Virginia.
Applications for Legends & Lore® markers in Virginia will be accepted starting August 26 through October 14, 2024, and again in the spring. Legends & Lore® markers commemorate and promote the folklore, legends, traditions, customs, and stories found in local communities. Since the Pomeroy Foundation launched the program in 2015, it has produced 177 markers in 11 states. The markers are fully funded through the foundation’s Legends & Lore® grant program.
“We are delighted to collaborate with the Virginia Folklife Program on this exciting partnership to bring the Legends & Lore Marker Grant Program to communities in the Commonwealth,” said Bill Pomeroy, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Pomeroy Foundation. “Through Legends & Lore, we have helped people across the U.S. recognize the local traditions and stories that are important to them. We look forward to this new partnership and supporting the commemoration of Virginia’s diverse landscape of folklore and legends with roadside markers.”
As Virginia’s Legends & Lore state partner, the Virginia Folklife Program will help market this opportunity and review applications. Non-profit, academic, and government organizations are eligible to apply. For example, the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History was awarded a marker in Mount Airy, NC, recognizing the Freeman Home for its old-time music “breaking up Christmas” celebrations.
Successful Legends & Lore marker applications typically fall within three main categories:
- Folklife — Traditions such as music, skills, crafts, and events passed along within a community.
- Folktale — Fictional stories passed down about people or events not proven to have existed.
- Legends — Stories passed down that are popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable.
Prospective applicants must apply through a local 501(c)(3) organization such as a historical society, nonprofit academic institution, tribal nation, or a local, state, or federal government entity. Legends & Lore grant funding includes the full cost of a marker, pole, and shipping. To review program guidelines and details about how to apply online, visit the Pomeroy Foundation’s website: https://www.wgpfoundation.org/history/legends-lore/
About Virginia Humanities
Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We’re headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, but we serve the entire state. We aim to share the stories of all Virginians—or, better yet, find ways for people to share their own stories. We want Virginians to connect with their history and culture and, in doing that, we hope we’ll all get to know each other a little better. Founded in 1974, we are one of fifty-six humanities councils created by Congress with money and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to make the humanities available to all Americans. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org.
Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We’re headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, but we serve the entire state. We aim to share the stories of all Virginians—or, better yet, find ways for people to share their own stories. We want Virginians to connect with their history and culture and, in doing that, we hope we’ll all get to know each other a little better. Founded in 1974, we are one of fifty-six humanities councils created by Congress with money and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to make the humanities available to all Americans. To learn more, visit VirginiaHumanities.org.
About the William G. Pomeroy Foundation
The Pomeroy Foundation is a philanthropic organization based in Syracuse, N.Y. As the nation’s leading funder of historical roadside markers, the Pomeroy Foundation has awarded more than 2,400 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 48 states and Washington, D.C. Markers educate the public, encourage pride of place, promote tourism and preserve stories.
The Pomeroy Foundation is a philanthropic organization based in Syracuse, N.Y. As the nation’s leading funder of historical roadside markers, the Pomeroy Foundation has awarded more than 2,400 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 48 states and Washington, D.C. Markers educate the public, encourage pride of place, promote tourism and preserve stories.
Example Markers from Neighboring States:
