ANNISTON, AL — The City of Anniston has been awarded a $750,000 federal grant on behalf of the Anniston Freedom Center to support the restoration of three historic buildings located across from the former Greyhound Bus Depot on Gurnee Avenue.
The funding, awarded through the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Historic Preservation Fund, will support Phase 2 of the Freedom Center’s restoration project. The planned facility will provide space for historical exhibits, educational programming and community events focused on the Freedom Riders and Anniston’s role in the civil rights movement.
The City of Anniston submitted the grant application on behalf of the Center in partnership with the Freedom Riders Park Board, project leader Pete Conroy, Director Emeritus of the Jacksonville State University Little River Canyon Center, and other project supporters. The application was prepared with assistance from Simple Grants.
The City will serve as the official grant recipient, with the funding designated for the Freedom Center’s restoration work.
The latest award follows an $800,000 grant from the Alabama Historical Commission in 2025 for Phase 1 of the project. Together, the two awards represent $1.55 million in funding toward the Center’s development.
“The Freedom Center will help us preserve an important part of Anniston’s history and give future generations a place to learn about the courage of the Freedom Riders,” said Anniston Mayor Ciara Smith-Roston. “We are proud to support the Freedom Riders Park Board and the many partners whose work has brought this project forward. Securing this funding on the Center’s behalf is an important step in helping them bring that vision to life.”
The Freedom Riders Park Board is overseeing the Center’s development, which is intended to complement the existing Freedom Riders National Monument. Plans for the three restored buildings include exhibits, lectures, film screenings, performances, cultural events and educational programs.
Project organizers also anticipate that the additional visitor space could contribute to increased activity in downtown Anniston.
The Center’s historical focus dates to May 1961, when Freedom Riders traveled through Anniston as part of an effort to challenge segregation in interstate transportation. During their journey, a Greyhound bus carrying Freedom Riders was attacked in Anniston and subsequently firebombed outside the city.
The former Greyhound Bus Depot and the site where the bus was burned were designated as part of the Freedom Riders National Monument in 2017.
The three buildings designated for the Freedom Center were acquired in 2020 as part of efforts to expand opportunities for historical preservation and public education near the monument.
“Since 2012, we have worked to tell the story of the Freedom Rides and Anniston’s important place in that history,” said Conroy. “It has been our honor to work alongside original Freedom Riders Bill Harbour, Charles Person and Hank Thomas.”
Freedom Riders Park Board member Robert Houston said the additional funding will help expand the project’s educational reach.
“With this investment, we have an opportunity to preserve these historic buildings and give the Freedom Riders story a much larger platform,” Houston said. “The Anniston Freedom Center can become a place where history is not only remembered, but taught, discussed and experienced.”
Conroy also acknowledged the organizations and individuals involved in supporting the project.
“We are deeply grateful for the support we have received from the City of Anniston, Calhoun County, the State of Alabama and the Anniston Area Chamber of Commerce, along with the many individuals and organizations who have believed in this project,” Conroy said.
The federal grant represents another step in the ongoing restoration effort. A construction timeline or anticipated opening date for the completed Anniston Freedom Center was not provided in the announcement.
