Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Awards Inaugural African American Grant to Old St. Mark AME Church Building in Atlanta

ATLANTA, July 29, 2025—The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation awarded its inaugural Wade and Mary Lu Mitchell African American Heritage Preservation Grant to the old St. Mark AME Church building in Atlanta. Georgia Trust President and CEO W. Wright Mitchell presented the grant to Pastor Winston Taylor of The Beloved Community, Inc. at a ceremony on July 28 at the old church site. Also in attendance were Mamie Lee Moore “Mother Moore,” chair of The Beloved Community, Inc., members of the Mitchell family, Rev. Sean B. Smith on behalf of the Atlanta Mayor’s Office, Atlanta District 3 Council Member Byron Amos, John Ahmann of the Westside Future Fund and David Mitchell of the Atlanta Preservation Center, among others.

The new $20,000 grant will be awarded annually to African American preservation projects within the city of Atlanta. The grant is made available through the Mitchell Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. During their lifetimes, Mary Lu and Wade Mitchell were staunch proponents for the advancement of many African American causes in Atlanta. The grant was established by their children, Catherine Mitchell Jaxon and Georgia Trust President and CEO W. Wright Mitchell. 
 
 “My sister and I are excited to establish this grant to honor our parents’ legacy,” said Wright Mitchell. “Both of our parents worked tirelessly to advance African American causes in the city of Atlanta, and this grant is a perfect way to continue their important work by providing funds directly to minority historic preservation projects in the city that they both loved.” Mitchell added that “African American historic resources are vital to understanding the full story of Atlanta’s history, yet many remain significantly underfunded and unprotected. We hope that this grant will contribute to the preservation of these irreplaceable resources and contribute to a more inclusive telling of Atlanta’s collective history for future generations.”
 
The structural remains of the old St. Mark AME Church building, a landmark deeply rooted in Atlanta’s English Avenue neighborhood, is this year’s grant recipient. Originally constructed in 1920 as Western Heights Baptist Church, the structure became a focal point of Atlanta’s African American community after the St. Mark congregation moved into the building in 1948. Notable for its rare vernacular interpretation of the Mission Revival style — featuring hand-laid Stone Mountain granite — the church not only served as a house of worship but also a vibrant community hub, hosting graduations, civic meetings, and cultural events during the mid-20th century. The congregation remained until 1976, after which time the building became vacant until it was purchased in 1995 by the current owner, Pastor Winston Taylor. The roof and the interior of the church were completely removed due to major structural and water damage, and the site now serves as an open-air space.
 
The $20,000 grant will support urgently needed masonry repairs in the church building’s southeast corner. The work will include repointing mortar and stabilizing cracks with stainless steel stitching installed within mortar joints. These repairs are essential to ensure the structural integrity and long-term preservation of this iconic site.
 
The grant was awarded to The Beloved Community Inc., which will partner with the Atlanta Preservation Center to oversee the project. For over a decade, The Beloved Community Inc. and St. Mark AME Church have worked side-by-side to support and empower the neighborhood, actively participating in multiple efforts to protect and preserve their shared space.
 
The next grant cycle will open in September. Eligibility criteria and full details are available at www.georgiatrust.org/resources/grants-fellowships/.

About the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country’s leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia’s diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.

The Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia’s “Places in Peril.” The Trust recognizes preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards, honors students and professionals with the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship, and has multiple grant programs that assist in the preservation of historic sites across the state. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta (Rhodes Hall) and Macon (Hay House). To learn more, visit www.georgiatrust.org.

About The Beloved Community, Inc.
The Beloved Community, Inc. exemplifies Atlanta’s enduring spirit of resilience, innovation, and community. Their vision is to transform underserved communities by using preservation as a community development tool and by transforming historic spaces and stories into vibrant opportunities that honor the past while cultivating a promising future.

About Atlanta Preservation Center
The mission of the Atlanta Preservation Center is to promote the preservation of Atlanta’s architecturally, historically and culturally significant buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes through education and advocacy.