The Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona was awarded a $750,000 grant earlier this month. The grant was awarded as part of the Historic Preservation Fund’s African American Civil Rights Grant Program, which is funded by the National Park Service.
The funds will go toward the preservation and rehabilitation of the museum, which was the home of the jazz icon and his wife, Lucille. Additionally, the restoration project will aid in maintaining the house’s structural integrity, enhance the museum experience and improve safety conditions for visitors.
The grant program was established to preserve significant historical sites and stories directly linked to the African American civil rights movement.
Located at 34-56 107th St., the Louis Armstrong House Museum preserves and promotes the cultural, historical and humanitarian legacy of legendary musician Louis Armstrong. The museum has a collection of archival materials that document Armstrong and Lucille’s lives.
The museum’s executive director, Regina Bain, said the grant funding will help preserve Armstrong and Lucille’s legacies. “Their jazz and humanitarian legacy must be preserved for future generations. We are thrilled to continue this mission, utilizing a grant that focuses on preservation directly associated with the story of civil rights in America,” Bain said.
Last month, the museum won the prestigious Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Medal for Museums. The award is the nation’s highest honor for libraries and museums that uplift their communities.
The Louis Armstrong House Museum was one of ten recipients nationwide to receive the honor this year and the only recipient in New York State. Bain accepted the award at a ceremony in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. last month.
After Armstrong died in 1971, Lucille continued to live in their home and advocated for it to become a National and New York Historic Landmark. Through her efforts, she established the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, an organization supporting musicians, jazz education, performances and programming. After Lucille died in 1985, Queens College helped work on turning their home into a museum. By 2003 the historic house opened for public tours.
