PADUCAH – The city of Paducah received a $1.34 million grant to support facility improvements and educational programs at the African American Heritage Museum Hotel Metropolitan, the city announced Wednesday.
According to a press release from the city, the grant came from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundationa nonprofit organization that provides grants to support the arts and humanities. Improvements planned for the hotel include hiring and training additional staff to improve organizational stability.
The Hotel Metropolitan, located at 724 Oscar Cross Avenue, is a restored hotel that served as a haven during segregation and hosted many notable African-American artists, athletes and entrepreneurs, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Thurgood Marshall and the Harlem Globetrotters, the press release said. Maggie Steed had the hotel built for African-American travelers about 120 years ago.
“The City of Paducah is grateful for the Mellon Foundation’s recognition of the historic significance of the Hotel Metropolitan,” said Paducah Mayor George Bray. “At the end of this three-year grant period, the Foundation for the Cultural Heritage of the Upper Town will have numerous tools and resources to lead the Hotel Metropolitan into a sustainable, profitable and vibrant future. To continue the hotel’s history for future generations, new programs will be developed, staff will be hired, building improvements will be made and much more.”
The city will provide a grant of $250,000 to support the hotel in the current fiscal year and, if approved, plans to provide an additional $250,000 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
“As a woman of color and local storyteller, I have a passion for uncovering Paducah’s African American stories and sharing them to inspire, educate and unite our community,” said Betty Dobson, Executive Director of Hotel Metropolitan. “With this generous donation from the Mellon Foundation, we can work to preserve and evolve Hotel Metropolitan so these important stories and pieces of our history can continue to be shared.”
