Brown Announces $750,000 for Historic Rehabilitation at Wilberforce University

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the National Park Service’s (NPS) Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) has awarded a $750,000 Historically Black Colleges and Universities grant to Wilberforce University to rehabilitate its academic complex.

“By working with our National Park Service to honor key sites at Historically Black Colleges and Universities we are preserving the legacy of these institutions,” said Brown. “This investment at Wilberforce University gives an opportunity for future generations of Ohioans to learn our state’s proud history at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” 

“We are at once, thankful for the recognition of the historic legacy of this beloved place and excited about the opportunity to establish an enduring legacy. This grant comes at a particular time of hopefulness as Wilberforce welcomes new presidential leadership. With the collective commitment and hard work of the Wilberforce University family, we will continue to build a solid foundation for a future of high performance and sustainability,” said President of Wilberforce University, Dr. Elfred Anthony Pinkard.

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Grant Program was established to identify and restore historic structures on Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) campuses considered to be the most historically significant and physically threatened.

Brown has long been a leader in preserving Ohio’s historical sites. In 2018, Brown’s bipartisan African American Civil Rights Network Act, which creates a national network of historic sites, stories, research facilities and educational programs connected to the African American Civil Rights Movement, was signed into law. In 2021, Brown announced more than $1.4 million in NPS funding for sites across Ohio connected to the civil rights movement. Last year, the President signed Brown’s bipartisan African American Burial Grounds Preservation Act legislation into law that will establish a program at the NPS to provide grant opportunities and technical assistance to local partners to research, identify, survey and preserve African American Burial Grounds.

###