Sponsor Spotlight: Mellon Foundation
Preserve the Past, Empower the Future: How the Mellon Foundation Helped Restore a Cultural Landmark
The James Weldon Foundation
The James Weldon Johnson Writing Cabin and The Mellon Foundation
In May 2024, the James Weldon Johnson Foundation received a transformative $575,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program, one of just five grants awarded nationally that year to organizations preserving African American cultural heritage.
With this critical support, the Foundation embarked on the long-awaited restoration of Johnson’s historic writing cabin in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. By early 2025, the work was complete.
Tucked away in a quiet grove above Alford Brook, the modest cabin was built in 1926 by Johnson and his wife, Grace Nail Johnson, as a personal retreat from public life. It was here that Johnson, one of the most influential voices of the Harlem Renaissance and a key figure in the NAACP, wrote significant works. The space holds deep historic and emotional resonance, not just for scholars and artists, but for all who seek to understand the rich tapestry of Black American life and literature.
James Weldon Johnson Writing Cabin by Selwyn Garraway, 2017
The Mellon grant enabled a meticulous restoration to national preservation standards, including the interior, structural systems, and utilities. It also supported critical research, environmental studies, and accessibility planning to prepare the site for future use by visiting writers, scholars, and the public.
“This grant makes it possible to not only restore a building,” said Foundation co-founder Rufus Jones, “but to restore the spirit of the place, to make it a living, breathing resource for education, creativity, and reflection.”
The restoration marked a pivotal moment—not just in preserving a structure, but in renewing its purpose. What was once in danger of being lost is now a beacon for future generations, offering a sacred space for reflection, learning, and creative inspiration.
The James Weldon Foundation
Preservation Efforts: Honoring a Rare Historic Site
Looking ahead, the Foundation is actively working to secure the adjacent land to protect the site’s viewshed and ecological integrity. With an option to purchase the neighboring pasture this next phase of stewardship is crucial to preserving the environment that Johnson so deeply cherished.
The James Weldon Johnson Writing Cabin now stands not just as a restored building, but as a powerful symbol of cultural resilience, artistic vision, and the enduring importance of protecting African American heritage.
This is the impact of visionary funding: a landmark restored, and a future reimagined.
Key restoration efforts include:
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New Wood Flooring: Installed to match the existing structure, maintaining the cabin’s original character.
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Furniture Restoration: Johnson’s daybed frame, medicine cabinets, and bookcase will be meticulously restored.
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Recreation of Historic Artifacts: The Fire Storage Box, a crucial feature of the cabin, will be recreated to reflect its original design.
These efforts not only preserve the physical structure but also honor the cultural and intellectual legacy that Johnson imbued into the space. Once completed, the Writing Cabin will offer visitors a deeply personal connection to Johnson’s life and work.
BOOK A TOUR
Visitors who wish to experience the profound history and inspiration of the James Weldon Johnson Writing Cabin are encouraged to book a guided tour. This unique opportunity offers an intimate look at the space where Johnson crafted some of his most enduring works and reflects on his remarkable legacy. To schedule a visit and learn more about this historic landmark, please contact us at: rufus@jamesweldonjohnson.org or click the button below. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this extraordinary piece of cultural history
Amy Einstein, “Drawing of James Weldon Johnson.” Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
“O could I send my spirit out to her,
To tell the sweetest secret of my heart,
The secret which it can no longer hear
But still with which it is so loth to part.
Or could I give it to some sighing wind,
To softly whisper it within her ear;
Or to some little fairy good and kind,
Who would on wings of love my secret hear.”
—James Weldon Johnson, “ Sonnet—The Secret”