Mariel Williams
editor@mitchellnews.com
The local America 250 Commission was recently awarded a $10,000 grant by America 250 NC, an organization dedicated to commemorating American history.
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources announced that its America 250 NC initiative has dispersed nearly $900,000 in grant funds across 34 counties in the state. The initiative is designed to commemorate the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary in 2026.
The local grant funds will be used in part to pay for an interactive path called the “Walk Through Mitchell County’s History,” and in part for a field trip to the historic Kings Mountain Battlefield for all eighth graders in Mitchell County Schools.
“We did receive the $10,000 grant from the A250 NC,” said Starli McDowell, executive director of the new Overmountain Victory State Trail.
“Special thank you to Daniel Barron for all the work. … Now we can prepare to send the new school’s eighth graders to King’s Mountain.”
Barron is a member of the local A250 Commission.
Across the state, the grant-funded projects include new cultural events, physical and digital exhibits, historical markers, and more, all inspired by North Carolina’s revolutionary history and the themes of America 250 NC.
According to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the America 250 NC Grants are designed to spark programs and activities on a local level to create a memorable and meaningful commemoration of the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
The department received 71 grant applications and awarded 50 grants. Grant applications for the 2025-2026 fiscal year will open in August to disperse over a million dollars in remaining funds awarded by the North Carolina legislature for the America 250 NC grant program.