Warner, Kaine applaud $2 million to help preserve Virginia HBCUs

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) applauded today an announcement by the National Park Service that it will award $2,267,306 in grant funding to support projects that preserve significant historic structures at four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in Virginia. Virginia Union University, Hampton University, Virginia State University, and Virginia University of Lynchburg will receive these federal funds to help preserve culturally significant landmark buildings on their campuses.  

“We welcome these needed funds which will help Virginia HBCUs maintain and restore historic structures that have played a significant role in their academic and cultural legacies,” said the Senators. “These grants will allow Virginia schools to preserve these landmark buildings so that future generations can learn about their significance to the fight for equality in higher education.”

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grants support the preservation of sites on HBCU campuses that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Eligible projects 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 Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

The following Virginia HBCUs will receive federal funding:

• Virginia Union University will receive $500,000 for the preservation of Huntley Hall.
• Hampton University will receive $500,000 for the Wigwam Preservation Project.
• Virginia State University will receive $493,815 for the preservation of Vawter Hall and $274,278 for the preservation of Storum Hall.
• Virginia University of Lynchburg will receive $499,213 for the preservation of Humbles Hall.

Congress appropriates funding for the HBCU grant program through the Historic Preservation Fund. The fund, which Sens. Warner and Kaine have long supported, uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf to provide assistance for a broad range of preservation projects, not tax dollars. Sen. Warner is the author oflegislation that was included in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to improve access to cybersecurity scholarships for students at minority-serving institutions. A recent appropriations bill passed by the Senate included language from Sen. Kaine’s bill to require the HBCU Capital Financing Advisory Board, which provides financial guidance to the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to provide Congress with a report on the loans granted under the program along with recommendations to address issues related to construction financing for HBCUs.