PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A special grant has been awarded to the Provincetown Community Compact from the National Park Service to document LGBTQ history within the Provincetown National Register Historic District.

The district features 1,200 structures within a three-square-mile area and is one of the largest districts in Massachusetts. The grant has a high value of $49,999 for a two-year project, according to a press release.

The National Park Service announced $1,250,000 in grant funds to 21 projects in 19 states and the District of Columbia for the survey and nomination of sites and districts associated with communities that are underrepresented in the National Register of Historic Places.

“The Compact sees this award as a milestone for the community, both residents and visitors, making visible this significant aspect of our collective memory through the built environment,” says Jay Critchley, director of the Community Compact. “It reflects our mission of nurturing community through the integration of culture, the economy and the environment. We have a singular American story to tell.”

The state of Colorado and the Chelsea Hotel in New York City are the only two other sites in the US to focus on LGBTQ recognition besides Provincetown.

Provincetown is one of the most well-known communities in the nation that promotes LGBTQ inclusion and since the early 20th century, has attracted artists, writers, actors and musicians along with those associated with the arts.

According to a press release, the Compact was founded in 1983 by artist Jay Critchley with a mission to advance the health and cultural well-being of Provincetown and the Outer Cape- its people, the natural environment and the economy.

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