The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently announced five new sites by Black architects that will receive funding for preservation efforts.
Announced as part of their “Conserving Black Modernism” initiative alongside the Getty Foundation, approximately $3 million in grants will be dedicated to support 24 overall sites nationwide that are indicative of “Black American joy, resilience, innovation and activism.”
The other 19 sites that are set to be awarded are winners of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative and the National Grant Program.
Alongside cemeteries like the Berry College African American Cemeteries, Olivewood Cemetery and the Bibb House and Bibbtown Church-Cemetery, cultural sites such as Gibbs Cottage, Historic Brooklyn, the Knights of Pythias, the town of Glendora and the Lewis H. Latimer House Museum are set to be preserved.
Other winners of the grants include Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, Jewel Theater, the Letitia Carson Legacy Project, the Tom Lee House: Klondike Cultural Center, Woodville School, the Muddy Waters Mojo Museum and the Custom House.
The Clemmons Family Farm, the Dr. James & Janie Washington Cultural Center, Founders Church of Religious Science, Administration Building, the First Church of Deliverance, 2500 New Hackensack and McKenzie Hall will all also be given funds.
“Through our partnership with the Mellon Foundation, the Descendant and Family Stewardship Initiative represents this enduring commitment to help grassroots communities and families share their stories of resilience and power,” said the senior vice president at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Brent Leggs, per a statement. “Grants that support the physical preservation and management of these incredible places are crucial to keeping our nation’s history alive. We hope this investment will further empower these communities to be leaders in this important effort.”
The renowned Apollo Theater is also slated to be a historic preservation site. The historic venue recently broke ground on a massive restoration project set to run until next summer.
The beginning of the efforts was celebrated with a ceremony held on June 30. Attended by theater officials, including the President of the Apollo, Michelle Ebanks, and other music industry professionals, over 200 guests witnessed a temporary “dropping of the curtain” as the Apollo Theatre began its modernization efforts.
For the first time in over 90 years, the theatre has undertaken a full-scale renovation project. Along with updating the lobby, backstage area, the marquee and seating area, the project will build a cafe and bar for attendees. The famed “Wall of Fame” will also be digitized, while the signature wall will be preserved.
“As we prepare to renovate and reimagine this legacy space, we do so not to erase its history, but to elevate it,” said Ebanks at the ceremony. “To honor the shoulders we stand on, while building a more modernized foundation for those who will come after us.”
