St. Charles historical interpreters Jack Hartwig (front) and Robert Brown stand in front of a cabin at First Missouri State Capitol State Historic Site in St. Charles.
JEFFERSON CITY — Decadeslong efforts to preserve historic sites and buildings in Missouri could be at risk as part of President Donald Trump’s push to downsize the federal government.
The president’s spending plan would reduce federal funding for to $11 million, which is nearly $160 million less than was earmarked in 2024.
In addition, the administration has squeezed off funding in the current budget for historic preservation activities in various states.
Some states have already laid off government workers in historic preservation roles. Officials in Oklahoma say job cuts could be coming later this year.
Gov. Mike Kehoe’s administration says they continue to monitor the developments.
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“The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is paying close attention to the impacts of the federal budget on Missouri’s State Historic Preservation Program,” DNR spokeswoman Connie Patterson said Thursday.
In arguing for the reductions, the Trump administration said many of the projects undertaken by states are “of local, rather than national, significance.”
But advocates say the funding stream for historic preservation efforts is actually at zero cost to taxpayers because the money is generated by royalties from federal offshore oil and gas leases.
In Missouri, the state historic preservation office works with citizens and groups to evaluate and protect Missouri’s wide range of historic, architectural and archaeological resources.
The agency oversees historic designations for thousands of properties across the state, including the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and the Bevo Mill Historic District in ӣƵ.
The state also operates historic sites including Mark Twain’s birthplace near Florida, Missouri, the Confederate Memorial near Higginsville and the state’s first Capitol in St. Charles.
Patterson suggested that the state would take over some of the responsibilities if federal dollars are reduced.
“In the event that historic preservation funds are reduced at the federal level, the department will work toward the best solution for Missouri communities,” Patterson said.
Among high-profile historic preservation projects currently underway is the conversion of an abandoned shoe factory in Jefferson City into an office for the historic preservation staff and other DNR employees now working in leased facilities.
The building, located near the now-shuttered Missouri State Penitentiary, cost taxpayers $1.5 million, but needs an estimated $25 million in renovation work.
The DNR’s planned conversion of the five-story shoe factory would highlight the importance that footwear played in the history of the community.
According to , historians believe lumber from the dismantled 1904 World’s Fair in ӣƵ was used to build the structure.
Patterson said the agency is not giving up on the transformation of the building, as well as other projects that may be in the pipeline.
“It’s too early to speculate on impacts to specific projects. That said, we are currently moving forward on the shoe factory renovations in Jefferson City,” she said.
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