Grants & Scholarships
CCADA Cultural Enrichment Fund
The Cape Cod Antiques Dealers Association established the Charles and Barbara Adams Cultural Enrichment Fund in 2010. The purpose of this fund is to provide grants to Cape Cod historical associations, museums, cultural centers, and libraries for programs that will add to the public’s appreciation of antiques and heritage. Through its Charles and Barbara Adams Cultural Enrichment Grant Fund, the CCADA seeks to promote a better understanding of Cape Cod’s history and heritage by providing support to nonprofit organizations for special projects which help advance and preserve this goal. Since the first grants were presented in 2011, over $30,000 has been awarded to a wide variety of projects across Cape Cod.
The grants are awarded within the following guidelines
- Seed money for new projects.
- Assistance in completion of a current project.
- Acquisition of an artifact, collection, or other object appropriate to the applying institution.
- Conservation of a previously owned or newly acquired object.
- Support of an educational project.
Each grant will be in the amount of $1000 or less.
Information for Prospective Applicants
Institutions are invited to apply for grants by letter no later than November 15. The letter should include a detailed description of the project stating what they hope to achieve with the help of the grant. Supporting documents and photographs would be helpful. Proof of 501(c)3 certification is required. The recipients will be notified by January 1 and awarded by February 1 via mail.
Recipients of Charles and Barbara Adams CCADA Cultural Enrichment Grants
2025
- Chatham Historical Society ( Atwood House Museum) in Chatham for conservation of Flapper dresses which are part of an ongoing exhibit of period dress. For purchase of wigs for mannequins on display and signage for displays.
- Barnstable Historical Society to reupholster a chair made by John Henry Belter( 1844-1864).
The chair was gifted to the town of Barnstable by the estate of Mrs William Lovell ( Alida Matthews).
- Dennis Historical Society for a 1 sided replica of the Howes Tavern sign for the 250th anniversary exhibit of the American Revolution. It will then be permanently exhibited at Josiah Dennis Manse Museum.
The Howes Tavern, built in 1700 as a tavern and stagecoach stop, still stands today.
- Wing Family of America to restore an 18thc side table which resides in the living room of the Wing Fort House. The house, built as a hut in the 1630s, was acquired in 1646 by Stephen Wing and has been continuously owned by the family for over 300 years.
It is open to the public, with each room depicting a different era of history.
2024
- Wing Ford House in Sandwich to restore an 18th century side table that stands in the Joshua Wing bedroom.
- Historical Society of Santuit and Cotuit to restore and repair gesso frames for Zenas Crocker mourning pictures.
- Barnstable Historical Society to restore two important samplers, one by Ruth Burrill Dimock in 1799, the second by Mary G. Hinckley in 1814.
2023
- Woods Hole Historical Museum to purchase a collection of glass plate negatives by Charles Henry Sawyer showing scenes of Quisset Harbor. They will be used to produce limited edition postcards to be sold as a fund raiser for the society going forward.
- Centerville Historical Museum to restore historical gowns for exhibition. This is the second grand for the ongoing restoration, the first given in 2021.
- Wellfleet Historical Society and Museum to restore two photos of Billingsgate Island which show Billingsgate Light, other buildings, one person and land features. The island is now submerged except at extreme low tides.
2022
- Barnstable Historical Society to purchase updated software for organizing and documenting their archived collections for public accessibility.
- Historical Society of Santuit and Cotuit to restore and document diplomas and certificates of Dr. Donald E. Higgins (Harvard graduate in 1930, practiced medicine for 45 years in Cotuit). Father before him permanent exhibit of his office in the museum).
- Truro Historical Society to restore and preserve three works on paper:
1- An 1850 register of the vessel Eschol
2- A 1909 Truro bicentennial poster
3- An oil on board by Lucy L’Eengle called House on North Pamet Road
2021
- Centerville Historical Museum to restore and repair historical costumes in their permanent collection.
- Cotuit Library Association to move and display a model of the ship Flying Cloud.
- Eastham Historical Society to restore a 1795 Samuel Adams document appointing Elijah Knowles to Justice of the Peace of Barnstable County.
- Harwich Historical Society to purchase a workbench, tools, a vice and supplies to begin in-person workshops for decoy making.
2020
- Brewster Historical Society to conserve the portrait of Freeman Cobb (1830-1878), Brewster resident and grandson of sea captain Elijah Cobb. Freeman was a global business man in the Australian transportation market.
- Truro Historical Society to purchase handcrafted objects of the Wampanoag native people who currently live on Cape Cod and the South Shore.
2019
- Sandwich Town Archives for preserving the document “Sarah Chammock Indentured Letter,” written in 1748 by a 5-year-old child who resided with a Sandwich family until she was 18 as an indentured servant.
- Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum for helping to clean and refresh their 50-year-old model of the Mayflower.
- Falmouth Public Library for the cleaning and restoration of Franklin Lewis Gifford’s painting, The Landing of the British at Little Harbor. Gifford was known as “the Grandpa Moses” of Woods Hole.
- Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, funding for their 4 part series lectures to help commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims on our shores.
2018
- Bourne Historical Society for providing storyboards to depict historical places and events for the Aptuxet Museum.
- Chatham Historical Society for funding display units and cabinets in order to display archaeological findings recovered from “digs” at the Atwood House and Nickerson Homestead.
- Barnstable Historical Society for repair, restoration, and conservation of a 19th century Walling map (1858) which has suffered water damage and fading.
- Sturgis Library for preserving and protecting 12 posters illustrated by local artist Edward Gorey.
- Osterville Historical Society for framing and preserving the flag of the Seapuit Golf Club, which operated on the land of a former dairy farm and river property until it was closed in 1942.
2017
- Chatham’s Atwood House Museum-partial funding for a day-long workshop On Native Americans on Cape Cod
- Eastham School House Museum-partial funding for restoration of a rare 1855 Colton School U.S. Wall Map for their one-room Schoolhouse
- Truro Historical Society-funding for the assessing, documenting and photographing Of their costume and textile collection
- Wellfleet Historical Society-preservation of a rare small cannon used in shooting Lifelines to distressed ships along the Cape Cod shoreline
2016
- Falmouth Historical Society and Museums On the Green: Repair and re-gild the frame on the portrait of Hannah Lawrence Swift, a member of the influential Falmouth family. The portrait is on display in the Dr. Francis Wickes House.
- Highfield Hall and Gardens: Design educational installations to be placed around the preserved walking trails and historical gardens. These will be of great assistance to the visiting public to ensure a proper appreciation of the property’s historical significance.
- Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum: Mount and frame three 19th century samplers, stitched by members of the local Nickerson and Freeman families.
- Barnstable Historical Society: Repair large display case which houses a model of the 19th-century steam bark George S. Homer. The ship was built in 1882 in Bath, Maine, and named after prominent New Bedford merchant family that dealt in whale oil and candles.
2015
- The Chatham Historical Society for the Atwood House Museum to purchase an All- In-One Touch Screen Computer. It will be used to bring interactive presentations, film footage, lectures and more to museum patro
- The Harwich Historical Society to restore and preserve a 1920 poster, an original artifact from the Elmer Crowell Barn.
- The Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum to conserve a large model of the Mayflower, a permanent display in the museum’s collection.
- The Sturgis Library, Barnstable, for the purchase of mylar sleeves, used to protect a collection of historically significant early gravestone rubbings.
- The Truro Historical Society for the purchase of an iPad Air 2, to be used to record historical accounts of several experts on local history and lore.
- The Historical Society of Old Yarmouth to restore and preserve their 1858 Henry Walling Map of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Counties.
2014
- 1717 Meeting House in West Barnstable Funds toward the restoration of the 1806 Paul Revere bell clapper
- Harwich Historical Society The purchase of the duplicate wood-burning stove used by Elmer Crowell. It will be placed in the Crowell barn currently under construction.
- Orleans Historical Society Partial funding for the preservation of 6 early scrapbooks containing 19th and early 20th Century ephemera
2013
- Cape Cod Maritime Museum Funds toward the restoration of a Bigelow “Kitten” catboat.
- Centerville Historical Museum Funds to complete a project utilizing tablets for the 6th Grade History Program the Barnstable School System.
- Dennis Historical Society A grant to purchase TV/DVD equipment to be installed at The Manse to support ongoing educational programs.
- Harwich Historical Society/Brooks Museum The means to restore an oil on canvas portrait in their permanent collection to be exhibited in the spring of 2014.
- Orleans Historical Society A grant towards the restoration of ship portrait captained by a local sailing master.
- Sandwich Public Library/Friends of the Sandwich Town Archives Funds to properly frame six watercolors by Dodge Macknight to be permanently displayed in the Macknight Room at the library. Sandwich celebrates its 375th anniversary and these paintings will be part of a special exhibit commemorating this artist.
- Wellfleet Historical Society Funds to conserve an ongoing project to conserve and preserve selected documents and photographs in their collection.
- West Dennis Free Library The purchase of a collection of books that will be helpful to readers who are preserving, conserving, and organizing family history and artifacts.