The city of Montgomery has received multiple federal grants through the National Park Service to preserve and repair two civil rights sites.
The city received two grants totaling $800,000 to support preservation work at Ben Moore Hotel.
Opened in 1951 by Montgomery businessman Matthew Franklin Moore, the Black-owned hotel offered lodging to Black travelers during segregation and was listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book. The hotel also housed the Majestic Café and Malden Brothers Barber Shop, along with its rooftop Afro Club, which welcomed musicians to perform.
A $750,000 grant will support phase one of the rehabilitation, while a $50,000 award will fund preparation of the National Register of Historic Places nomination and documentation.
The city also received $750,000 from the National Park Service to rehabilitate and repair the St. Jude Hospital building. The hospital served as a stop during the Selma-to-Montgomery Voting Rights March. The Stars for Freedom rally, organized by Harry Belafonte, was held on the City of St. Jude campus on March 24, 1965.
Founded in the 1930s by Catholic priest Father Harold Purcell, the City of St. Jude campus provided health, education and social services to Black residents during segregation. When the hospital opened in 1951, it was the Southeast’s first integrated hospital.
“St. Jude gave marchers shelter on the final night before they walked to the Capitol, and its history reflects the courage and determination behind the voting rights movement,” said Mayor Steven L. Reed. “This grant will help us stabilize and rehabilitate the historic hospital building and preserve an important part of that story.”
The funds are being administered by the National Park Service, Department of Interior.
