$4 Million Awarded to Help Protect 31 Historic Black Churches in U.S.

By Jessica Pumphrey National (TN Tribune)-National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is awarding $4 million in its second round of Preserving Black Churches grants to 31 historic Black churches across the U.S. Notably, two of the churches selected for grants are located in Tennessee. Henderson Chapel AME Zion Church in Rutledge, built in 1890, served as a center of cultural activity throughout the Jim Crow era and will now receive support for an architectural assessment and comprehensive preservation plan. Additionally, The House of God Church Inc. in Nashville, founded in 1903, will use grant funding to establish a Preservation Manager staff position, enhancing the church’s historic preservation activities and developing a five-year strategic plan. With over $95 million in funding, the Action Fund is the largest U.S. resource dedicated to preserving historic African American places. Since launching Preserving Black Churches in 2022, the Action Fund has provided $8.7 million in grants to over 70 historic churches. Black churches stand as timeless bastions of faith, resilience, and achievement in communities across America. These sacred spaces have been the birthplace of movements, the planning grounds for change, and a refuge for those seeking solace. “We created the...