FAMU among HBCU’s getting money for historic preservation

By Channing Frampton

The National Park Service today awarded $10,670,000 to 15 projects in eight states as part of the Historic Preservation Fund [zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me]’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities grant program [zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me], which focuses on the repair of historic structures on the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“It’s vital for America’s HBCUs to preserve their vibrant history, ensuring that the places and the events that happened there are not forgotten,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “I’m proud that the National Park Service can support this locally-led stewardship.”

This year’s grants will support the preservation of sites like Simmons College’s Steward Hall, Delaware State University’s Hope House, and Cheyney University of Pennsylvania’s Melrose Cottage.

• Simmons College, the sole private HBCU in the state of Kentucky, will rehabilitate Steward Hall, one of two remaining buildings built during the college’s peak period in 1924. The architect and builder Samuel Plato is a celebrated Black architect who also graduated from Simmons College. The grant funds will be used to rehabilitate windows and doors as well as provide foundation repairs and tuckpointing.
• The Delaware State University (DSU) Downtown campus in Dover, Delaware, will rehabilitate a pre-1885, three-story frame building with Queen Anne architectural features including a mansard roof and an expansive porch. Originally owned by Wesley College, the building was acquired by DSU in 2021. The rehabilitation of the building will address the building envelope, interior water damage, and mold remediation. The rehabilitated building will be named the Hope House and provide social services for students and the community.
• Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, will rehabilitate Melrose Cottage, a cottage that dates to around 1785. The building served as the university president’s house from 1913 to 1951, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places [zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me] in 1986. The rehabilitated building will become the admission team’s hub and a welcome center for campus tours. Funding will provide repairs to the electrical systems, a fire suppression system, and address accessibility issues.
• Congress appropriated funding for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grant Program [zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me] in FY2023 through the Historic Preservation Fund [zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me] (HPF). The HPF uses revenue from federal oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, assisting with a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars, with the intent to mitigate the loss of nonrenewable resources to benefit the preservation of other irreplaceable resources.