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Eutaw Today
By the People, for the People
Preserving Black History: The Legacy Places Initiative's Fight to Save Iconic Sites
Phillip Howard and The Conservation Fund work to protect African American heritage sites across the country.
Apr. 6, 2026 at 2:25am
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The Edistone Hotel in Selma, Alabama, a site with deep ties to the civil rights movement, nearly faced demolition in 2025 before The Conservation Fund stepped in to save it. Through the Legacy Places Initiative, the organization works to identify and protect historic locations connected to African American history that are at risk of being forgotten or destroyed. This includes sites along the Underground Railroad, locations central to the civil rights struggle, and places where Black culture and art flourished.
Why it matters
With the removal of history exhibits and markers related to Black culture happening across the nation, there is a growing sense of urgency around preserving African American heritage sites. The Legacy Places Initiative aims to ensure these important stories and legacies are not lost, but rather continue to be part of the shared American narrative.
The details
The Edistone Hotel, built in 1855, has a storied past - it was once the largest slave market in Dallas County, later housed the Freedmen's Bureau after the Civil War, and stood just steps from the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the site of the Bloody Sunday civil rights march. Phillip Howard, Director of the Legacy Places Initiative for The Conservation Fund, said saving the Edistone Hotel means 'protecting the stories and legacies of all those that passed through its doors.' The Conservation Fund has also worked to preserve other significant African American heritage sites, including the final home of author Zora Neale Hurston and the Freedom Riders National Monument.
- In 2025, the Edistone Hotel in Selma, Alabama, came close to being demolished.
- The Conservation Fund secured the Edistone Hotel property in 2025 to prevent its demolition.
The players
Phillip Howard
Director of the Legacy Places Initiative for The Conservation Fund.
The Conservation Fund
A national non-profit organization that works with local communities to identify and protect historic sites tied to African American history.
What they’re saying
“It's unfathomable that the Edistone Hotel, a place so rich in American history, came so close to being lost forever.”
— Phillip Howard, Director of the Legacy Places Initiative for The Conservation Fund
What’s next
The Conservation Fund plans to continue its work identifying and preserving other at-risk African American heritage sites across the country through the Legacy Places Initiative.
The takeaway
The Legacy Places Initiative's efforts to save historic sites like the Edistone Hotel demonstrate the critical importance of preserving African American history and ensuring these stories remain part of the shared American narrative, especially as cultural markers are being removed in communities nationwide.
