Miles College receives $500K grant to restore historic building

If there’s one thing I like, it’s historic preservation. That’s why I was so excited to learn that Miles College, located in Fairfield, was recently awarded a grant to help restore the oldest building on their campus. Here are the deets.

Historic Preservation is the Name of the Game

Miles College was recently awarded a $499,869 grant from the Historically Black Colleges and Universities grant program. The grant money comes from the Historic Preservation Fund and is administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior. Miles College was one of 18 schools nationwide—and the only school in Alabama—to receive a portion of $7.7 million in grant funding.

The Oldest Building on Campus

Miles College will use the grant money to restore the oldest building on campus, the historic Williams Hall. Erected in 1907, Williams Hall is barely younger than Miles College itself, founded in 1898. In fact, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Sadly, Williams Hall has since fallen into disrepair. Now, thanks to the grant, Miles College plans to restore the structure to its original appearance. In addition, they plan to retrofit the building with modern tech and purposefully designed spaces for academic, teaching and museum offerings.

The Future of Williams Hall

Once the site of several events during the Civil Rights Era, Williams Hall will be used as a teaching museum that honors the founders, students, alumni, and the College’s role in the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement.

The restoration of Williams Hall is just one of the many developments happening at Miles College. In fact, they recently teamed up with Shaquille O’Neal in order to bring a Papa John’s to every HBCU campus.

Are you excited to see this historic structure restored? Share your thoughts by tagging @bhamnow on social!