WASHINGTON – The National Park Service (NPS) announced on April 24, 2020, $7.7 million in grants to 18 projects in 12 states for the preservation of historic structures on campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Since the 1990s, the National Park Service has awarded more than $60 million in grants to over 80 of the remaining active HBCUs, according to a press release by NPS.
“These grants help us to honor the legacy of HBCUs in serving our nation’s higher education needs,” said David Vela, National Park Service Deputy Director. “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.”
Projects funded by these grants will support the physical preservation of National Register listed sites on HBCU campuses to included 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 Standard for Archaeology and Historic Preservation.
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, providing assistance for a broad range preservation projects without expending tax dollars.
Projects receiving grants this year will preserve stories, resources, and places like the Samuel T. Graves Hall at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA; the University Memorial Chapel at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD; and the Historic Carnegie Library at Livingstone College in Salisbury, NC.
For more information about the grants and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities program, please visit . Applications for $10 millions in FY2020 funding will be available in the fall of 2020.
Historically Black College and University Awards:
| State | Projects | Grantee | Award |
| Alabama Fairfield | Williams Hall Historic Preservation Project | Miles College | $499,869 |
| Georgia Atlanta | Samuel T. Graves Hall Exterior Repair and Restoration Project | Morehouse College | $500,000 |
| Louisiana Baton Rouge | Preservation of the Archives Building | Southern University and A&M College | $499,938 |
| Louisiana Grambling | University Memorial Chapel Window Preservation | Morgan State University | $500,000 |
| Mississippi Jackson | Preservation of the Historic Mt. Olive Cemetery | Jackson State University | $496,023 |
| North Carolina Greensboro | Dudley Memorial Building Renovation Project | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University | $500,000 |
| North Carolina Greensboro | Morrison and Murphy Hall Updates | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University | $266,068 |
| North Carolina Salisbury | Preservation of the Historic Andrew Carnegie Library | Livingstone College | $500,000 |
| Ohio Wilberforce | Conversion of the Power Plant to the Frank Murphy Student Success Center | Central State University | $500,000 |
| Oklahoma Oklahoma City | Historic Cottage Row District Preservation Project | Langston University | $473,820 |
| South Carolina Columbia | Pratt Hall Preservation Project | Benedict College | $500,000 |
| South Carolina Orangeburg | The SCSU Forensic Analysis/Assessment of Wilkinson Hall Project | South Carolina State University | $50,000 |
| South Carolina Orangeburg | Trustee Hall Preservation and Restoration Initiative | Claflin University | $446,569 |
| Texas Tyler | The Rehabilitation of the D.R. Glass Library | Texas College | $500,000 |
| Virginia Lynchburg | Preservation of Humbles Hall Phase II | Virginia University of Lynchburg | $499,713 |
| West Virginia Bluefield | President’s House Renovation Project | Bluefield State College – Applied Research Foundation of West Virginia | $68,000 |
| Total | $7,760,00 |
About the National Park Service
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 419 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.