Talladega College

Talladega College, Talladega, Alabama

Founded in 1867 by two former slaves with assistance from the Freedman's Bureau and the American Missionary Association, Talladega was the first higher education institution in the state and the only public school within a nine-county region to provide educational opportunities for African Americans. Talladega stressed liberal arts education, with a strong emphasis on religion. The 129-acre campus has twelve structures on the National Register of Historic Places, and Swayne Hall, built by an African American slave carpenter and brick mason in 1852 prior to the college's founding, is a designated National Historic Landmark. Grant funds are being used to develop preservation strategies for the historic buildings and landscapes, and for resource documentation and assessment.

Talladega College received a Getty grant in 2007 for $90,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Historic Designation(s): Talladega College Historic District (12 contributing structures, National Register of Historic Places); Swayne Hall (National Register of Historic Places, National Historic Landmark, Historic American Buildings Survey).