City of Monroe, LA

(Monroe, LA) The National Park Service in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services announced $24.25 million in Save America’s Treasures Preservation and Collections grants to fund 80 projects in 32 states and the District of Columbia. We’re excited to announce the historic Cooley House is one of the projects awarded through this endeavor.

Of the 80 projects, the National Park Service awarded 31 Save America’s Treasures Preservation Project grants in 25 states. Monroe’s project was awarded $483,500.00 and is the only project that was funded in Louisiana.

The goals of this project are to restore a rare example of Prairie-style architecture in the South and facilitate its regular use once again, after a prolonged period of vacancy. Improvements to the building systems (electrical, plumbing, Information Technology, etc.) as well as to the more visible elements are needed to improve the safety of the public and ensure the longevity of the building.

Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin, designed the Cooley House in 1908, following their employment with the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Marion was the second female graduate of the MIT School of Architecture and the first woman to become a licensed architect in the state of Illinois. In 1911, the Griffins won an international design competition for Canberra, the new capital city of Australia, and moved their practice overseas. The 1926 Cooley House is their last residential project to be constructed and shows design features from the US and Australian phases of their careers.

Save America’s Treasures, funded through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), provided $356 million to more than 1,326 projects between 1999 and 2020. Requiring a dollar-fordollar private match, these grants have leveraged more than $500 million in private investment and contributed more than 16,000 jobs to local and state economies.

On Thursday, November 3, 2022, the Cooley House Foundation will continue their free Fall Lecture Series with "Meeting Marion: The Life of Pioneering International Architect".

This virtual lecture will be live from Australia and presented by Glenda Korporaal, journalist and author of "Making Magic: The Marion Mahony Griffin Story". A link for the lecture will be shared with those who register for the event at cooleyhouse.org. While there, you may also make a secure donation to the restoration of the Cooley House, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar with the Save America's Treasures Grant.

Best,

Michelli Martin

Media Relations Director

michelli.martin@ci.monroe.la.us

318-372-7640

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