The Georgia Trust awarded the Wade and Mary Lu Mitchell African American Heritage Preservation Grant to the Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation for critical preservation work at the Herndon Home Museum in Atlanta.
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation awarded its 2026 Wade and Mary Lu Mitchell African American Heritage Preservation Grant to the Herndon Home Museum in Atlanta. Georgia Trust President and CEO W. Wright Mitchell presented the $20,000 grant to Rosemary Parson and Stanley Washington of the Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation during a ceremony held June 17 at the museum. Also in attendance were Mary Ilonah of the Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation, members of the Mitchell family, Daniel Lewis and Christina Toney-Schmitt from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, and David Mitchell of the Atlanta Preservation Center, among others.
The Wade and Mary Lu Mitchell African American Heritage Preservation Grant awards $20,000 annually to African American preservation projects within the City of Atlanta. The grant is made possible through the Mitchell Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. During their lifetimes, Mary Lu and Wade Mitchell were strong advocates for the advancement of 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 proud to continue honoring our parents’ legacy through this grant,” said Wright Mitchell. “African American historic resources are vital to understanding the full story of Atlanta’s history, yet many remain significantly underfunded and unprotected. We are pleased to support projects that preserve these irreplaceable places and help ensure their stories are shared with future generations.”
“This grant is a powerful affirmation of the enduring importance of the Herndon Home and its legacy,” said the Herndon Foundation Trustees. “We are profoundly thankful for this investment in our mission to preserve a cornerstone of Black excellence and economic empowerment. Their funds will help us restore and protect the home so it remains a living testament to what vision, discipline and self-determination can achieve. Together we are ensuring that the Herndon legacy continue to inspire and propel generations towards a sustainable and prosperous future.”
The Herndon Home Museum is one of Atlanta’s most important African American historic landmarks. Constructed in 1910, the home was built for Alonzo F. Herndon, who rose from enslavement to become Atlanta’s first African American millionaire and founder of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, one of the nation’s most successful Black-owned businesses. Designed by his wife, Adrienne Herndon, an accomplished artist and cultural leader, the home stands as a symbol of African American entrepreneurship, achievement and leadership.
Today the Herndon Home Museum preserves and interprets the Herndon family’s legacy while serving as a cultural and educational resource for the public. The property is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and remains a powerful testament to Black resilience, economic self-determination, and civic engagement.
The $20,000 grant will support urgently needed roof rehabilitation work to address active water infiltration that threatens the museum’s historic structure and collections. The grant was awarded to the Alonzo F. and Norris B. Herndon Foundation, which stewards and operates the Herndon Home Museum. The foundation is currently undertaking a Historic Structure Report in partnership with the Georgia Institute of Technology to guide future preservation efforts and ensure the long-term stewardship of the property.
The next grant cycle will open in September. Eligibility criteria and full details are available at www.georgiatrust.org/resources/grants-fellowships/.
