The Fairfax County Park Authority Board approved a Mastenbrook Grant request from the Great Falls Grange Foundation totaling $20,000 to help install a municipal-connected water line to service the Grange.
In April, the Park Authority and the foundation entered into an agreement that permits the foundation to operate and maintain the property, with the Park Authority retaining ownership. To prepare the facility for planned expanded uses, a critical first step is to install a water line connected to municipal water, Park Authority officials said.
The project includes installation of a yard hydrant behind the Grange, which will be attached to the well. The water will be considered non-potable and its primary use will be for landscaping purposes.
The total project costs will run approximately $41,000, of which the Mastenbrook grant will provide about half the funding.
The Grange was built in 1929 as an assembly hall and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As part of the partnership agreement, the Grange Foundation is undertaking internal building improvements, new landscaping and other enhancements.
Since 1999, the Mastenbrook Grant Program has awarded approximately $1.98 million in grants for projects valued at more than $14.7 million. Grants ranging from a few hundred dollars to the maximum of $20,000 have funded such projects as trail improvements, construction of gazebos and shelters, playgrounds and athletic-field improvements.