News Release
Image Courtesy of Howard University
News Release Date: August 27, 2018
Contact: NewsMedia@nps.gov
WASHINGTON - The National Park Service today 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)."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.
Following is the full list of projects funded:
| HBCU Grant Recipients | Project | State | Amount |
| Philander Smith College | Renovation of the James Monroe Cox Administration Building, Phase II | Arkansas | $304,258 |
| Howard University | Founders Library Handicap Accessibility Renovation | District of Columbia | $500,000 |
| Delaware State University | Preservation of Historic Loockerman Hall | Delaware | $500,000 |
| Clark Atlanta University | Rehabilitation of Park Street Methodist Episcopal Church | Georgia | $500,000 |
| Fort Valley State University | Renovation of the Historic Bywaters Building | Georgia | $470,000 |
| Harris-Stowe State University | Rehabilitating the Vashon Community Center | Missouri | $500,000 |
| Tougaloo College | Interior Rehabilitation of the John W. Boddie House | Mississippi | $270,000 |
| Johnson C. Smith University | Preservation of Biddle Memorial Hall | North Carolina | $496,186 |
| Livingstone College | Rehabilitation of Andrew Carnegie Library | North Carolina | $500,000 |
| Shaw University | Rehabilitation of Tupper Memorial & Estey Halls within Raleigh's East Raleigh-South Park Historic District | North Carolina | $480,000 |
| Saint Augustine University | Preservation of the Saint Augustine's University Chapel | North Carolina | $312,250 |
| South Carolina State University | Preservation of Wilkinson Hall | South Carolina | $500,000 |
| Voorhees College, State of South Carolina | Stabilize & Preserve Booker T. Washington Hall | South Carolina | $500,000 |
| Benedict College | Morgan Hall Preservation Project | South Carolina | $500,000 |
| Virginia Union University | Preservation of Huntley Hall | Virginia | $500,000 |
| Hampton University | Wigwam Preservation Project | Virginia | $500,000 |
| Virginia State University | Preservation of Vawter Hall | Virginia | $493,815 |
| Virginia State University | Preservation of Storum Hall | Virginia | $274,278 |
| Virginia University of Lynchburg | Preservation of Humbles Hall | Virginia | $499,213 |
| Total | $8,600,000 |
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
Last updated: August 27, 2018