Photo via: Howard University
Recently, the National Park Service gave a total of $8.6 million to 18 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to help them preserve the historical buildings and statues that live on these campuses, reports Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
The money was provided through the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund and will be used to revitalize important landmarks that hold historical value at top African American institutions like Howard University, Clark Atlanta University, Hampton University, Delaware State University and more.
“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 in a statement. “These grants will help restore and enhance landmark buildings that are a source of pride on campuses in nine states.”
Howard University plans to use the funding to improve the Founders Library on campus. Meanwhile, Shaw University will use their portion of the funding to preserve Tupper Memorial Hall and Estey Hall, which are located in Raleigh, North Carolina’s East Raleigh-South Park Historic District.
See the full list of projects that will be funded below.
| 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 |
Dr. Paulette Dillard, Shaw University’s interim president, tells Diverse Issues in Higher Education that they are so happy to be able to have the money to preserve the campus building that is named after their founder, Henry Martin Tupper.
We salute the National Park Service for their great contribution to preserving the rich of history of HBCUs.