A major federal preservation grant will help protect the Fort Sidney Museum and Post Commander’s Home for future generations

The Cheyenne County Historical Association has been awarded a $200,000 Save America’s Treasures grant for the preservation and rehabilitation of the Fort Sidney Museum and Post Commander’s Home.

The federal Save America’s Treasures program supports the preservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections across the United States. The highly competitive program is administered by the National Park Service in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities and Institute of Museum and Library Services.

For the Cheyenne County Historical Association, the award represents an extraordinary opportunity for Fort Sidney.

“This is an incredible moment for Fort Sidney and for our community,” said Mary Brumage, president of the Cheyenne County Historical Association. “For more than 150 years, these buildings have stood as witnesses to an important chapter in the history of Sidney, the American West and our nation. This grant gives us an opportunity to make sure they are still standing and telling those stories for generations to come.”

A $400,000 Opportunity for Fort Sidney

The $200,000 federal award requires a dollar-for-dollar non-federal match. Once the match is secured, the grant creates the opportunity for approximately $400,000 to be invested in the preservation of Fort Sidney.

Fort Sidney was established at its present site along the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869 and became an important military post during the development of the West. Today, the surviving buildings allow residents and visitors to experience and learn from that history.

The Cheyenne County Historical Association will now begin the next phase of the project, including securing the required non-federal matching funds and completing the steps necessary to move the preservation work forward.

“So many people have cared for Fort Sidney over the years,” Brumage said. “We have inherited their work, and now it is our responsibility to carry it forward.”

What Comes Next

There is still work ahead.

CCHA will share more information in the coming months about the preservation project, the required matching funds and opportunities for individuals, businesses and organizations to become part of this next chapter in Fort Sidney’s history.

For now, we celebrate an extraordinary opportunity for Fort Sidney and the community that has worked for generations to preserve it.

Fort Sidney has stood for more than 150 years. Our work now is to help make sure it stands for generations more.

[Download the full press release]