LANSING — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced that the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office has been awarded a $750,000 Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grant from the National Park Service to support the preservation of historic buildings in rural communities located along the Great Lakes statewide.

“Michigan’s shoreline communities are travel destinations that serve as economic, social and cultural hubs and play a vital role in the state’s economy,” Whitmer said in a news release. “This funding will help property owners in these critical communities continue to invest in their historic properties, which contribute to the identity and economic vitality that make our Great Lakes communities such an important part of Michigan s identity.”

The federal grant will be used to fund the SHPO’s Resilient Lakeshore Heritage Program, aimed at addressing immediate needs in the state’s rural communities along all four Great Lakes coastlines in Michigan and promoting long-term strategies that convey the role of historic preservation in supporting vibrant, culturally rich places.

Through the program, SHPO and its partners at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will support applicants with rehabilitation projects in communities that participate in SHPO’s Certified Local Government program, MEDC’s Michigan Main Street program or MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities program — three community-focused programs that recognize historic preservation as a meaningful component of economic development and community identity.