Church Rehabilitation to Restore Historic Landmark

Buildings are all built with a purpose and a plan for what will happen within their walls. However, most buildings were not constructed to stand the test of time. Buildings must be maintained and cared for over the years to withstand years of wear and tear. Unfortunately, to preserve most buildings, there is a significant amount of funding required. Sadly, some businesses or organizations are not financially able to make the improvements needed to keep their building from becoming unstable and unsafe for visitors.

King Solomon Baptist Church, in Detroit, Michigan, was facing this very problem. Luckily, as stated by Ken Haddad, “The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office has been awarded a $500,000 African American Civil Rights Grant from the National Park Service” (para. 1). The church has plans to use this grant funding to rehabilitate the roof of its historic facility. Because the facility is a historic site, they want to protect the church from further weather damage that has the potential to arise should nothing be done about the deteriorating roof. Also noted by Ken Haddad, “Funded work will also include construction drawings, insulation, shingles, drain slopes and drains, metal edging, copper valleys and saddles, and repair and replacement of fascia trim” (para. 2). 

King Solomon Baptist Church played a significant role in history and was largely involved in the Civil Rights Movement. State Historic Preservation Officer Brian D. Conway Stated, “We’re pleased to receive this grant and looking forward to working with the church to restore the roof and ensure its preservation” (para. 9). The grant funding given to the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office will allow the city of Michigan to make the repairs needed to keep the health of King Solomon Baptist Church restored to its original beauty, allowing the city of Detroit to continue to experience the history that took place within the church walls.