Winston-Salem State University receives nearly $750,000 grant to preserve the historic S.G. Atkins House
Winston-Salem State University has received a $749,700 grant from the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund for historically Black colleges and universities to renovate the S.G. Atkins House.
Named after WSSU’s founder and first president, Simon Green Atkins Jr., the two-story white frame house was built in 1893 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Located on Alumni Drive on WSSU’s campus and currently occupied by the Office of Alumni Affairs, the house was Atkins’ former residence and is a physical link to the origins of WSSU and the development of Columbia Heights, an early Black middle-class neighborhood in Winston-Salem.
The S.G. Atkins House is the last of three historic houses in the Columbia Heights neighborhood that were listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The James S. Hill House and the John Walter Paisley House no longer stand.
Renovation plans call for addressing decades of weather-related deterioration and water infiltration, including damage to the siding, roof, windows and porch framing. The project also includes roof replacement, window rehabilitation, selective interior renovations, HVAC and fire alarm upgrades and other preservation measures to stabilize the house while preserving its historic character, according to the grant application.
WSSU Chief Operating Officer Jeremy C. Alltop was principal investigator and primary author of the grant, which he said aligns with two pillars of Chancellor Bonita J. Brown’s We Are Rising 2030 strategic plan.
“Under Embrace Operational Strength, the university has committed to responsible stewardship of its physical resources, modernization of its facilities and diversification of funding through grants, partnerships and philanthropy,” Alltop said. “Securing nearly $750,000 in external federal funding to rehabilitate one of our most historically significant properties is an excellent example of that strategy in action.”
He said the project is equally connected to the We Are Winston-Salem pillar, which calls for strengthening WSSU’s identity, visibility and community impact.
“Few places connect those goals as directly as the home of our founder. Preserving the Atkins House allows us to tell the story of WSSU in a way that also tells an important part of the story of Winston-Salem. It reinforces that the story of this university and the history of this community are deeply intertwined,” Alltop said.
Dr. Shawn E. Holt, chief research officer and associate provost, said officials from the Office of Research and Innovation, Academic Affairs and University Advancement collaborated on the grant. He said knowing the Atkins House was the last of the three historic homes still standing in Columbia Heights added significance to the grant application, and "a little more pressure to make sure it was done right.”
The project still requires approval from the WSSU Board of Trustees and UNC Board of Governors, as well as preservation reviews, design work and procurement before a construction date can be set, Alltop said.
“Ultimately, this project is about stewardship – honoring where WSSU came from while preparing the university for where it is going,” Alltop said. “Chancellor Brown’s vision is very much about building for the future without losing sight of the people, places and values that made WSSU what it is today.”
