By Morgan State U
BALTIMORE — Morgan State University has been awarded another $500,000 grant from the National Park Service (NPS), toward fulfillment of the federal government’s commitment to preserving historic structures on the campuses of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The grant, which marks the second round of resources awarded to Morgan by NPS over the past two years, will be used to rehab and restore the University Memorial Chapel to its former glory. In spring 2020, Morgan received an initial grant for the Chapel restoration project, bringing the total awards to date to $1 million.
The project is funded by the Historically Black Colleges and Universities grant program of the Historic Preservation Fund and is administered by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. In addition to the NPS grants received, this project is also supported by Maryland’s Capital Budget appropriation for Morgan State University and the University’s operating budget.
“We’re very excited to receive this grant from the National Park Service to preserve the University Memorial Chapel and conduct much-needed repairs,” said Kim McCalla, associate vice president for Facilities, Design and Construction Management at Morgan. “Their investment in this institution does not go unnoticed, and we cannot thank them enough for their support thus far. We look forward to working alongside them in this and future endeavors.”
The University Memorial Chapel — formerly known as the Morgan Christian Center — was constructed and later dedicated in 1941. In 2010, the Chapel was listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and the United Methodist Commission on Archives and History designated it as an historic site. Morgan will use this latest round of funding to restore or replace the Chapel’s slate roof and repair portions of the stone retaining walls around the Chapel’s exterior.
Projects funded by NPS grants support the physical preservation of National Register-listed sites on HBCU campuses. Included among those sites are historic districts, buildings, structures and objects. Eligible costs 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 Archeology and Historic Preservation.
About Morgan
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu
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