Old Mount Carmel awarded $200,000 grant from African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund

Alan Festo, The Gainesville Sun
·2 min read

A national historic landmark in Gainesville that is in need of repair is receiving some much-needed funding from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The National Trust announced Monday that the Old Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Gainesville is one of 35 historic Black churches across the U.S. to receive part of $4 million in grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

"To be awarded the funding and to be recognized with some of the most historic African-American churches in the country, I'm just floored right now," said Pastor Gerard Duncan, director of the Save Old Mount Carmel Project and whose Prayers By Faith Ministries uses the building.

The Old Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Gainesville received a $200,000 grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.
The Old Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Gainesville received a $200,000 grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

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Duncan said Old Mount Carmel's grant application was among 1,200 submitted, and that the $200,000 received will be used to guard against water damage by replacing the building's roof and protecting the building's envelope.

He called the roof the foundation of the building, as it is key to protecting the "historical significance of the interior."

Pastor Gerard Duncan, of Prayers By Faith Ministries, points out the damage and repairs being made to the ceiling and roof in the sanctuary of the Old Mount Carmel Baptist Church building in February 2022.
Pastor Gerard Duncan, of Prayers By Faith Ministries, points out the damage and repairs being made to the ceiling and roof in the sanctuary of the Old Mount Carmel Baptist Church building in February 2022.

About Old Mount Carmel

Nestled in the heart of Gainesville's Pleasant Street Historic District, the now defunct Old Mount Carmel, 429 NW Fourth St., is also known as the Pleasant Street Civil Rights and Cultural Arts Center. It is currently being used for various things, including church services, tours, health screenings and workforce training sessions.

Built in 1944, Old Mount Carmel was associated with local civil rights efforts in the 1960s through the early 1970s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in August 2021 for its significance as an architectural and cultural resource. It was first designated as a historical site by the state of Florida in 2013.

It was home to several different congregations over the years, including that of the Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Wright, who was the pastor of Old Mount Carmel from 1962 to 2006, served as president of the local NAACP for many years and helped lead efforts to desegregate Alachua County public schools. Wright died in December 2014 at age 94.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Mount Carmel grant from African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund