Black Episcopal Churches Among Recipients of 8.5 Million in Preservation Grants

Thirty-three Black churches received a share of 8.5 million dollars in preservation grants in early 2026. The funds came from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

Among the recipients were the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. Both churches played central roles in the Civil Rights Movement. The Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was bombed in 1963, killing four young girls. Ebenezer Baptist Church was the home congregation of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The grants support structural repairs, roof replacements, and restoration of historic architectural features. Many of the churches receiving funds are small congregations with limited budgets that cannot afford major repairs on their own.

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund was established in 2017 to address the significant gap in preservation resources for sites connected to Black history. Since its founding, the fund has awarded more than 30 million dollars to more than 200 sites across the country.

Preservation advocates said the grants are critical not just for the buildings themselves but for the communities they serve. Black churches have historically functioned as schools, polling places, community centers, and safe havens in addition to places of worship.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation said it received far more applications than it could fund in 2026, reflecting the widespread need for preservation support among historically Black congregations.