National Park Service Awards $8.6 Million in Preservation Grants to HBCUs

The National Park Service awarded $8.6 million in grant funding to support projects that preserve significant historic structures on the campuses of 18 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) on Aug. 30. Ten of the schools are UNCF-member institutions.

“UNCF is excited to share the awarding of $8.6 million to HBCUs in Historic Preservation Fund grants from the National Park Service. HBCUs are national treasures that deserve to be preserved,” said Lodriguez Murray, UNCF’s vice president, public policy and government affairs. [see also UNCF Praises House Passage of Increased Funding for the HBCU Historic Preservation Fund]

July 20, 2018

“HBCUs have played an important role in our country’s pursuit of equality, civil rights, and higher education for all Americans,” said National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith. “These grants will help restore and enhance landmark buildings that are a source of pride on campuses in nine states.”

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grants support the preservation of sites on HBCU campuses that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Eligible projects include pre-preservation studies, architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, and the repair and rehabilitation of historic properties according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Examples of projects funded by the grants include:

• The stabilization of Wilkinson Hall at South Carolina State University. The grant will fund repairs to the structure which dates to 1938 and is part of the South Carolina State College National Register Historic District. Project tasks will include repairing stone and brick work, windows, and gutters, as well as waterproofing the building to stop water infiltration.
• Accessibility improvements in the Founders Library at Howard University in Washington, DC. Constructed in 1939 and a key feature of the Howard National Historic Landmark District, the building serves as the main library for students on campus. It also houses one of the world’s largest catalogs of the African American experience. The project will improve accessibility to the building, including construction of a new entryway, in a manner that is sensitive to its architecture and historic fabric.
• The rehabilitation of the Vashon Community Center at Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri. Built in 1936 and listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places, the building housed one of only four black recreation centers in St. Louis at the time. The project will rehabilitate both the interior and exterior of the structure and make modifications to improve accessibility. The interior rehabilitation will include the removal of hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead paint.

Congress appropriates funding for the HBCU grant program through the Historic Preservation Fund. The Fund uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to provide assistance for a broad range of preservation projects, not tax dollars.

Click here to see the full list of projects funded