St. Jude Hospital in Montgomery receives grant for preservation

The National Park Service has allocated $750,000 for the preservation of St. Judge Hospital at the City of St. Jude campus in Montgomery. 

The area was used as a stop for Civil Rights marchers as they made their way to the Alabama State Capitol in 1965. 

"The march grew from a long struggle against barriers that kept Black Alabamians from voting," said a statement from the City of Montgomery. "Its journey from Selma to Montgomery drew people from across the country and helped build momentum for the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. St. Jude’s role as the final campsite placed the campus at a defining moment in that history."

The City of St. Jude was established in the 1930s by Catholic priest Father Harold Purcell. The grant will be used for architectural services, historic structure reports, preservation planning and physical preservation.

According to the statement the preservation effort will protect the building as plans are made in the long-term to adapt the hospital for affordable housing.

"Preserving the hospital will help keep the history of this campus visible and accessible to future generations," said the statement. "St. Jude was a place of care for Black residents during segregation and a place of refuge for marchers before they continued to the Capitol. Its story reflects both the everyday work of serving a community and the courage of those who marched for the right to vote."