FARMINGTON -- The town of Farmington has been designated a Preserve America Community for the work being done to promote and protect its heritage and history.

The town was advised of the honor in a letter signed by First Lady Michelle Obama.

Farmington is one of only 10 communities in Maine and 750 towns across the country that have received the recognition since the federal initiative was launched in 2004. It will mean the town is eligible for federal grants of between $20,000 and $250,000 to be used for historic preservation and heritage tourism.

Other Preserve America communities in Maine are Bath, Camden, Gardiner, Dover-Foxcroft, Lewiston, Rockland, Saco, Sanford and Portland.

"The program looks at what we have done to protect our historic resources and the ordinances we have in place to preserve them," Town Manager Richard Davis said Monday. "The signature projects here are the restoration of the Old North Church being done by the Farmington Historical Society and the historic walking tour through downtown we put in place last year."

Another ongoing activity included in the extensive application was the town's participation with the Maine Memory Network's Community Heritage Project that is putting the town's historical documents and photos online.

The downtown area is designated a historic district by the Maine Historic Preservation Commission. The town's comprehensive plan stresses the value of the historic district, and Farmington is now a member of the Maine Downtown Network.

The Preserve America program recognizes towns that use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization. It also selects communities that encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism, according to the Preserve America Web site.

In the near future, the town will receive a certificate signed by Michelle Obama and a road sign that will proclaim Farmington a Preserve America community. The town can use the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners and other promotional materials.

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com