News Release

National Park Service awards $9.7 million for preservation projects at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Estey Hall is one of the eight buildings on the Shaw University campus in the East Raleigh-South Park National Register historic district. Shaw will receive funding to address water infiltration issues at the roof and rehabilitate the building interior.

Photo courtesy of Shaw University.

News Release Date: August 10, 2021

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WASHINGTON - The National Park Service (NPS) today announced $9.7 million in grants to assist 20 preservation projects for historic structures on campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in 10 states.

“HBCUs have been an important part of the American education system for more than 180 years, providing high-level academics, opportunities, and community for generations of students," said NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge. "The National Park Service’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grant Program provides assistance to preserve noteworthy structures that honor the past and tell the ongoing story of these historic institutions."

Since 1995, the NPS has awarded $77.6 million in grants to 66 HBCUs. Congress appropriates funding for the program through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The HPF uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to provide assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars.

Projects funded by these grants will support the physical preservation of National Register listed sites on HBCU campuses to include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures, and objects. Eligible costs 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.

This years’ grants will fund projects including a window restoration project for Centennial Hall at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, FL, the restoration of pews and stained-glass windows for the Antisdel Chapel at Benedict College in Columbia, SC, and the stabilization of Hermitage Hall for future rehabilitation at St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC.

For more information about the grants and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities program, please visit http://go.nps.gov/hbcu. Applications for another $10 million in funding will be available in the winter of 2021. 

HBCU Grant Award Recipients

Total funds awarded: $9,684,275

HBCU Grant Award Recipients

State	Projects	Grantee	Award

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 423 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.