Winston-Salem State University has received a $750,000 grant from the National Park Service to renovate the historic home of the school’s founder.
The Simon Green Atkins House was built in 1893 in Columbia Heights, an early Black middle-class neighborhood in Winston-Salem.
It’s one of three houses from this neighborhood listed in the National Register of Historic Places — and it’s the only one still standing.
Now, though, it’s located on Winston-Salem State’s campus and occupied by the Office of Alumni Affairs. University officials say the house is an important part of the school’s history, and the history of the Columbia Heights neighborhood.
"Preserving the Atkins House allows us to tell the story of WSSU in a way that also tells an important part of the story of Winston-Salem," said WSSU Chief Operating Officer Jeremy C. Alltop in a press release. "It reinforces that the story of this university and the history of this community are deeply intertwined."
According to the release, renovation plans include roof replacement, HVAC upgrades and repairs to address weather-related damage.
The project still requires approval from the WSSU Board of Trustees and UNC Board of Governors.