UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HE

THE UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA (HOUSATONIC HERITAGE) IS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NONPROFIT DU BOIS FREEDOM CENTER (FORMERLY CLINTON CHURCH RESTORATION) TO CREATE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE SITE OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE AT THE HISTORIC CLINTON A.M.E. ZION CHURCH IN GREAT BARRINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS. THE PROJECTS OVERALL GOAL IS TO PRESERVE AND RESTORE THE NATIONAL REGISTER PROPERTY, NOW DECONSECRATED, AND TRANSFORM IT INTO A MULTI-FACETED CULTURAL CENTER THAT WILL INTERPRET THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF PIONEERING CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, AUTHOR, SCHOLAR, AND GREAT BARRINGTON NATIVE, W.E.B. DU BOIS, AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE REGIONS RICH AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND THE ROLE OF THE BLACK CHURCH IN THIS RURAL NEW ENGLAND TOWN. 283,916.00 IN SUB-AWARD OF FEDERAL GRANT (NPS AACR) P21AP118370 FOR RESTORATION. THE UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA (HOUSATONIC HERITAGE) RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR STABILIZATION AND STRUCTURAL REPAIR AT THE HISTORIC CLINTON A.M.E. ZION CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN GREAT BARRINGTON. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS GRANT AWARD IS PART OF 14 MILLION AWARDED TO 51 PROJECTS IN 20 STATES THAT PRESERVE SITES AND HISTORY RELATED TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY IN THE 20TH CENTURY. THE GRANT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND (HPF) AND IS ADMINISTERED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS). 10,000 IN SUB-AWARD OF FEDERAL GRANT (NPS AACR) P20AP001280 FOR INTERPRETATION. THE UPPER HOUSATONIC VALLEY NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA (HOUSATONIC HERITAGE) RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR INTERPRETIVE EXHIBIT DESIGN AT THE HISTORIC CLINTON A.M.E. ZION CHURCH IN DOWNTOWN GREAT BARRINGTON. THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AFRICAN AMERICAN CIVIL RIGHTS GRANT AWARD IS PART OF 14 MILLION AWARDED TO 51 PROJECTS IN 20 STATES THAT PRESERVE SITES AND HISTORY RELATED TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY IN THE 20TH CENTURY. THE GRANT IS FUNDED THROUGH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND (HPF) AND IS ADMINISTERED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS).

HOUSATONIC HERITAGE AWARDED A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF 20,000 TO THE NONPROFIT CENTER OF THE BERKSHIRES (FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE DU BOIS SCULPTURE PROJECT). THE PROJECT HAS BEEN RAISING FUNDS TO CREATE A LIFE- SIZE STATUE OF NATIVE SON W.E.B. DU BOIS TO BE LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE MASON PUBLIC LIBRARY IN GREAT BARRINGTON, MA. THE W.E.B. DU BOIS SCULPTURE PROJECT WAS ORGANIZED IN MARCH OF 2022 TO HONOR W.E.B. DU BOIS, A NATIVE SON OF GREAT BARRINGTON, BY COMMISSIONING A STATUE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS HERO TO BE DISPLAYED IN FRONT OF THE MASON PUBLIC LIBRARY. FISCAL SPONSOR FOR THE PROJECT IS THE NONPROFIT CENTER OF THE BERKSHIRES. A STATUE OF DU BOIS WILL CELEBRATE NOT ONLY HIS ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE FIGHT FOR RACIAL EQUALITY, BUT IT WILL ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW GREAT BARRINGTONWITH ITS LONG ABOLITIONIST HISTORY AND POWERFUL COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC EDUCATION HELPED SHAPE THE MAN DU BOIS BECAME. WE EXPECT THAT A STATUE OF THIS QUALITY ON THE MAIN STREET OF TOWN WILL HEIGHTEN AWARENESS OF BERKSHIRE COUNTYS EXCEPTIONAL BLACK HISTORY. A SCULPTOR HAS BEEN SELECTED, A MAJORITY OF FUNDS NECESSARY HAS BEEN RAISED, AND THE GROUP HAS PARTNERED WITH THE TOWN TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT BY SPRING OF 2025. THE GROUP REQUESTED 20,000 TO COMPLETE CASTING OF THE BRONZE.