According to the Philadelphia Tribune, a $160,000 grant will help the city of Philadelphia to restore two African American historic sites.
The Germantown United Community Development Corporation is one of 11 winners of the Partners in Preservation: Main Streets campaign.
Sponsored by American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Partners in Preservation is a program that focuses on ensuring the preservation of historic places. The Main Streets initiative sought to help ensure that historic main streets that are still in use by their local communities might endure for years to come.
The 11 winners were decided by voters; $2 million in grants were divided among the winning communities.
In Philadelphia, the prize money will be used by the Germantown United CDC to restore and preserve Parker Hall, located at 5801 Germantown Avenue and John Trower’s building at 5706 Germantown Avenue.
Renovations will begin next summer.
“The importance of the grant really is the fact that there are significant African American historic buildings and sites and stories in Germantown and it’s important to make sure that they are preserved and highlighted,” said Andrew Trackman, executive director of the Germantown United CDC.
The history of both buildings date back to the 1870s.
John Trower’s building is home to the Crab House restaurant, a popular local business.
Trower was an African American businessman who transformed the Savings Fund building in Germantown into a flourishing catering business.
Parker Hall was an integrated social hall that served as a USO-like facility during World War II for African American soldiers.
Today, Parker Hall contains the office of Dr. Althea Hankins and the ACES Museum, which pays tribute to multi-ethnic contributions to the United States military during World War II. The museum also often hosts veterans groups from throughout the country. The money will come in handy for Parker Hall in particular, as the building has significant structural issues.
“Partners in Preservation: Main Streets has shown how historic sites on Main Street are beloved in communities across America,” said Stephanie K. Meeks, president and CEO of The National Trust for Historic Preservation. “The preservation of these diverse places will help strengthen the identity and well-being of Main Streets from California to North Carolina.”
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