The National Park Service’s Department of the Interior has donated $750,000 to Delaware State University for its latest preservation project. The funds will be used to restore the Hope House, a historic building located on the Delaware State Downtown campus. The Hope House is over 139 years old.
The award is a component of a larger program that will provide $10 million to a number of HBCUs around the country in order to maintain and restore their historic buildings. Through her thorough research and application writing, Dr. Eleanor Kiesel, senior associate dean of the DSU Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, was instrumental in obtaining this funding. The grant was donated in July 2024, and work is set to begin soon.
Originally built prior to 1885 and featuring Queen Anne architectural elements, the Hope House is a historic building and an important center for Delaware State’s student programs and social services. It provides cultural ties, self-care activities, and counseling services. It will also involve the local community in projects.
The funds will be used to fix important problems like mold removal, water damage, and external and interior building repairs in the three-story building. This restoration represents the first stage of a larger initiative to revitalize the historic property that was acquired when the former Wesley College was purchased in 2021.
To improve intervention and preventive services for sexual assault and other safety issues on campus, Delaware State launched Hope House as part of the larger Safe Space Coalition program. This coalition, headed by Dr. Gwendolyn Scott Jones, dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, aims to evaluate and enhance the university’s safety procedures, guidelines, and response services for issues like bullying, mental health, domestic abuse, sexual assault, and more.
“We are honored to be given this opportunity to provide programming and supportive social services to our students in this home that was originally owned by former slave owners,” Dr. Kiesel said.
