Morehouse College and Easements Atlanta have partnered to conserve Samuel T. Graves Hall, the College’s first building at its Atlanta campus. Constructed in 1889 as the ultimate multi-purpose space, Graves Hall functioned as a dormitory, library, lab, classrooms, kitchen, dining, and chapel. After many significant interior reconfigurations, it currently serves as an honors residence hall for more than 115 students. This partnership strengthens Morehouse's commitment to preserving its historic buildings and time-honored traditions while continuing to modernize, innovate, and build the campus of the future.
The preservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement that allows Easements Atlanta to ensure that Graves Hall remains protected from incompatible alterations, all while ensuring that the property retains its historic character. This initiative is supported by a grant from the National Park Service's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) program, which includes a 20-year term easement as a component of the grant details. Located in the Atlanta University Center Historic District (listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976) and locally landmarked by the City of Atlanta in 1991, Graves Hall anchors the western end of the Morehouse College campus.
"Graves Hall stands as a symbol of the Institution's enduring relevance throughout the 20th and 21st centuries," said Dr. David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College. "Working with Easements Atlanta, we are safeguarding the architectural and historical significance of our most distinct building, a landmark holding a profound placement and countless memories among our alumni, students, and the broader Morehouse community."
The four-story structure includes clues to the Romanesque Revival style through its dark red brick, use of terra cotta accents in a similar color, and the large round "Roman" arch over the front entrance. It also has Queen Anne design elements, such as the porch with spindle work and brackets, multi-paned transom windows on the front facade, and the colored glass in the fanlight above the entrance.
"We are thrilled to partner with Morehouse College as the easement-holding organization on Graves Hall," said Sarah Borcherding, executive director of Easements Atlanta. "As the building undergoes rehabilitation with funding from the National Park Service, we look forward to helping ensure the future of this landmark structure at Morehouse College."
For more information about Morehouse College, visit morehouse.edu. To learn more about Easements Atlanta, visit easementsatlanta.org.
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