Home Improvement

Since it became one of the nation’s first Indiana Main Street Communities in 1986, the Warrick County town of Newburgh has been an early adopter and model for local preservation. Settled in 1803—thirteen years before Indiana became a state—Newburgh grew as a port on the Ohio River. Today, the town’s location on the Ohio River Scenic Byway and its popularity as a bedroom community for nearby Evansville have helped the small town thrive.

Recognizing that the town’s historic structures play an integral role in defining its character, officials took steps early on to protect Newburgh’s landmarks, creating the Newburgh Historic Preservation Commission (NHPC) in 1997. The commission originally focused on the town’s four-block commercial district.

Original Newburgh Historic District (photo: Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology)

In more recent years, the NHPC extended its attention to surrounding historic neighborhoods, and in 2018 the Newburgh Town Council created four new residential historic districts.

To encourage investment in those districts, the NHPC and the town council teamed up with Historic Newburgh, Inc. and Old National Bank to create a residential façade grant program. The Newburgh Neighbor Residential Grant Program makes matching grants to property owners for exterior rehabilitation projects, including paint, clapboard repairs, and restoring wooden windows.

For more information about the program, visit newburgh-in.com or contact Tavi Wydicks, Newburgh Zoning Administrator, 812-853-1720, twydicks@newburgh-in.gov.