CHRISTIANSBURG – Christiansburg Institute, Inc. (CI, Inc.) has gained the support of Senator John Edwards (D) and Delegate Jason Ballard (R), who have each introduced a $1,000,0000 budget appropriation to the Senate and House, respectfully, for the purposes of preserving and reopening the Edgar A. Long Building.
“Our team has been working with both Senator Edwards and Delegate Ballards office, advocating for their support in introducing a budget appropriation to the General Assembly for the preservation and reopening of the Edgar A. Long Building.
We’re very excited to see that a bipartisan budget appropriation has been submitted, and we’re confidently elected representatives in state government will recognize that the meaningful reinvestment and preservation of Black history, stories, and sites of cultural significance in Southwest Virginia is a recommitment to racial and economic justice on this side of the great commonwealth.”
Since 2017, CI, Inc. has raised approximately $300,000 towards the historic preservation and rehabilitation project of the Edgar A. Long Building. In 2020, these funds were used to repair and restore the entire roof system on the historic structure.
In 2020-2021, CI, Inc. partnered with Hill Studio to acquire an updated Master Site Plan. This work included hosting a series of community stakeholder meetings and listening sessions designed to gather community feedback about the potential reuses of the Edgar A. Long building and historic campus properties.
The Edgar A. Long Building will rehouse the ‘Christiansburg Institute Museum & Archives’ (CIMA), an immersive museum highlighting the 100-year story of Christiansburg Industrial Institute that reinvestigates the experiences of African Americans in Southwest Virginia from Slavery to Civil Rights.
The building also features a research center, maker space podcast studio, collaborative work units, leasable offices, a commercial grade kitchen, and a large flexible community event space.
The site plan includes an outdoor amphitheater, large open green spaces for events and recreational activities, memorial gardens, and an interpretive legacy trail. CI, Inc. is a grassroots cultural heritage and historic preservation 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Montgomery County, Virginia, with a mission of education, intergenerational empowerment, and the responsible stewardship of African American history, stories, and culture in Southwest Virginia. To learn more, visit; www.christiansburginstitute.com and follow CI, Inc.on Facebook and Instagram.
