Paine College has recently experienced a hefty surge in its fundraising efforts.
Last week, the historically Black college announced that the National Park Service (NPS) has awarded it more than $2.2 million.
The monies are among this year’s contributions of the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) grant program from the NPS’ Historic Preservation Fund. On July 9, the NPS distributed more than $10 million total to 15 preservation projects at HBCU’s across eight states.
MORE: Officials comment on Trump assassination attempt, one faces backlash
Three of those projects are on the Paine campus. The grant is to be used toward structural repairs at the school’s nearly 100-year-old Epworth Residential Hall, restoration of Belle-Bennett Residential Hall, built in 1962, and the renovation of the Peters Campus Center, which houses several administrative offices, the cafeteria and the student lounge.
“This is a significant milestone in the history of the college,” said Paine President Cheryl Evans Jones, “This gives us the opportunity to work towards upgrading facilities to create improved spaces for students’ living and learning environments.”
The closest recipients of the grant outside Augusta were in South Carolina: Benedict College in Columbia and Voorhees University in Denmark, both receiving $750,000 each for their own preservation projects.
Georgia Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced on July 10 that they had secured the $2 million of NPS funding for Paine.
“I greatly appreciate the efforts of Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock that led to the appropriation of this critical funding,” said Michael Thurmond, chairman of Paine College’s board of trustees. “The entire Paine College family and our loyal supporters are celebrating this unprecedented achievement.”
Underwriting refurbishment of student housing was among the aims listed for last year’s Growing Paine fundraising campaign, alongside the expansion of school programs and scholarships.
The NPS restricts use of the funds to the physical restoration or preservation of “historic districts, buildings, sites, structures and objects,” on properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places or designated a National Historic Landmark, though the grant award will also be used toward Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations.
The U.S. Department of Interior listed Paine College in the National Register of Historic Places, and designated its campus as a historic district, in December of 2012.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
