Recently, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, through its HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative, awarded more than $650,000 in grants to five historically Black colleges and universities to fund Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plans. Each of these schools are stewards of important architecture, historic assets, cultural landscapes, and collections, which represent more than a century of learning, growing, and empowerment for their students, faculty, and alumni.
Florida A&M University, founded in 1887, will develop a campus-wide plan for its 422-acre campus. In recent years, its Black Archives, Architecture Department, and Office of Facilities have developed collaborative rehabilitation projects for historic buildings such as Sunshine Manor, the Carnegie Library, and Gibbs Cottage. The campus-wide plan will enable the university to develop a strategic approach to preserve additional buildings within its historic district.
Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, founded in 1866, will develop a campus-wide stewardship plan for its historic campus and the adjacent former Mississippi Industrial College campus, which it acquired in 2008. The campus-wide plan will guide the college as it addresses deferred maintenance of historic buildings as well as how to incorporate Mississippi Industrial College’s remaining buildings into the campus landscape.
Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 1867, will develop a stewardship plan for the Historic Quad, which consists of five historic buildings. The stewardship plan will guide the university in restoring the buildings on the Quad.
Founded in 1865, Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, will develop a campus-wide plan to support and coordinate ongoing preservation of its 65-acre campus. The campus-wide plan will enable the university to develop rehabilitation plans for historic buildings as well as address the goal of connecting its campus back to downtown Raleigh while removing public access barriers.
Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina, founded in 1897, will develop a campus-wide plan for its 380-acre campus. The campus plan will enable the college to address deferred maintenance and plan for rehabilitating significant historic buildings.
