Emergency Grants NEH Chairman's

FAIN: PB-260403-18

Association to Preserve African American Society (Orlando, FL 32805-2761)
Elizabeth Ruth Thompson (Project Director: October 2017 to August 2019)

Covering repairs to equipment and structures, the purchase of supplies and materials, and payments to a preservation expert and inspector for the Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture.  The project would repair damage from Hurricane Irma caused by water and a felled tree and institute appropriate storage procedures for future weather events.

The Wells’ Built Museum of African American History and Culture contains significant historic artifacts and memorabilia related to the African American community of central Florida.  Located in Orlando, it is housed in the former Wells’ Built Hotel, which was constructed in 1926 by an African American physician and served as the first hotel in that part of the state to provide lodging to African Americans.  The museum was damaged by Hurricane Irma; funding would be used to restore the building and to mitigate against future damage.