The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund at the National Trust for Historic Preservation has recently awarded $3 million in grant funding to revitalize thirty historical sites that represent Black American culture. Four of these grants were awarded to historically Black colleges and universities.
Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, has received funding to restore its George W. Hubbard House. Named for the college’s founding president, the building was constructed in 1921 by McKissack and McKissack, one of the oldest Black-owned architectural firms in the United States. The new funds will be used to update the Hubbard House’s exterior and begin the first phase of a larger restoration project.
The Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University in Washington, D.C., has received funding to preserve the Ira Aldridge Theater, named after the renowned African American Shakespearean actor. The theater was constructed in 1961 by Black architects Hilyard Robinson and Paul Williams. The new grant will be used to create a historic structures report and interpretation plan.
Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, has received funding to restore three campus buildings: Claude B. Dansby Hall, Benjamin G. Brawley Hall, and John H. Wheeler Hall. The three buildings were constructed in the 1970s by Black architect Leon Allain. Each building will receive an assessment and historic structures report to support upcoming projects.
Virginia State University has received funding to preserve its Azurest South building, the former home and studio of Black architect Amaza Lee Meredith, founder of the university’s fine arts program. The new preservation grant will support the on-campus house in establishing a conservation management plan for future restoration initiatives.
