National Park Service Awards $7.7 Million in Grants to 17 Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Many of the buildings on historically black colleges and universities are historical landmarks with a rich history built into the brick and mortar. As a result, there are rules and regulations that colleges and universities have to abide by when performing renovations. In efforts to help HBCUs properly renovate campus buildings, the National Park Service announced that they are awarding $7.7 million in grants to 17 schools through the Historic Preservation Fund.

In a statement released by the organization, Director David Vela, National Park Service Deputy said, “These grants help us to honor the legacy of HBCUs in serving our nation’s higher education needs. Funding awarded this year will help preserve 18 historic properties on HBCU campuses in 12 states, many of which are listed in the National Register.”

Since the 1990s, the National Park Service has awarded more than $60 million in grants to over 80 of the remaining active HBCUs.

This year’s grant recipients include:

1. 1. Miles College
   2. Morehouse College
   3. Southern University and A&M College
   4. Grambling State University
   5. Morgan State University
   6. Jackson State University
   7. North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
   8. Livingston State University
   9. Bennett College
   10. Central State University
   11. Langston University
   12. Benedict College
   13. Bluefield State College – Applied Research Foundation of West Virginia
   14. South Carolina State University
   15. Claflin University
   16. Texas College
   17. Virginia University of Lynchburg

Projects funded by these grants provided by the organization will support the physical preservation of 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 Archeology and Historic Preservation.

For many of the schools, the grants will help them restore buildings and preserve their culture. Some of the notable buildings include Samuel T. Graves Hall at Morehouse College; the University Memorial Chapel at Morgan State University; and the Historic Carnegie Library at Livingstone College.