Montgomery’s landmark Green Book hotel, once a gathering place for civil rights leaders and legendary entertainers, receives a major preservation boost.
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA — October 13, 2026 — A historic Black-owned hotel that once offered refuge, hospitality, and community to African American travelers during segregation is receiving new support for its preservation.
The Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama, has been awarded $800,000 in federal preservation funding through the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights grant program. The funding will help rehabilitate the landmark and document its extraordinary role in Black entrepreneurship, American travel history, and the Civil Rights Movement.
Opened in 1951 by African American businessman Matthew Franklin Moore, the Ben Moore Hotel was among Montgomery’s most important Black-owned hospitality establishments. Listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book, it provided accommodations for Black travelers who were frequently denied service at white-owned hotels.
Today, the building stands as a reminder that Black-owned hotels were more than places to sleep. They were centers of economic independence, cultural expression, and community organizing.
$800,000 to Help Preserve a Black Hospitality Landmark
Announced on October 12, 2026, the federal preservation funding represents an important step toward protecting one of Montgomery’s historic African American institutions.
According to local reporting, the awards include:
- $750,000 for Phase I rehabilitation, supporting the building’s physical preservation.
- $50,000 for historical documentation, including a National Register of Historic Places nomination and oral-history research.
The funding follows The Conservation Fund’s acquisition of the property in 2025 to protect it from demolition and begin stabilization.
In 2026, the National Trust for Historic Preservation also named the Ben Moore Hotel one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, drawing national attention to its deteriorating condition and cultural significance.
Although the new funding represents progress, the hotel has not reopened, and a complete restoration schedule has not been announced.
The Story Behind the Ben Moore Hotel: Black Ownership During Segregation
The Ben Moore Hotel was established by Matthew Franklin Moore in Montgomery’s historic Centennial Hill neighborhood.
Moore named the hotel in honor of his father, Ben Moore, who had been born into slavery.
The four-story property opened in September 1951, at a time when segregation severely restricted where African Americans could stay while traveling through the South.
The hotel offered guest rooms, dining, personal services, and entertainment within a Black-owned commercial establishment.
For Black travelers, this represented something particularly valuable: a welcoming place to stay, supported by a business that served the African American community.
For Montgomery’s Black residents, the hotel also represented entrepreneurship, employment, social life, and economic opportunity.
The Ben Moore Hotel illustrates how Black hotel ownership helped build independent institutions in communities where equal access to mainstream hospitality was denied.
A Green Book Hotel That Welcomed Black Travelers
→ Discover the original Green Book Hotels Still Standing Today
The Ben Moore Hotel appeared in the Negro Motorist Green Book, the historic travel guide created by Victor Hugo Green.
Published from 1936 to 1966, the Green Book helped African American motorists locate hotels, restaurants, service stations, and other businesses where they could expect to receive service during the Jim Crow era.
For Black families traveling across the United States, these listings were often essential.
The Ben Moore Hotel was part of that network of welcoming accommodations.
Its significance extends beyond its appearance in a travel directory. The property represents the generations of Black hospitality entrepreneurs who created opportunities for travelers and communities when discriminatory practices limited access to the broader lodging industry.
Today, that history remains an important part of understanding the development of Black-owned hotels in America.
Where Civil Rights Leaders and Entertainers Gathered
The Ben Moore Hotel also became a gathering place for some of the most influential figures in American history.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders visited the property during Montgomery’s pivotal years of organizing and activism.
The hotel’s Malden Brothers Barbershop served as an informal meeting place for prominent members of the Black community, including civil rights organizers.
Its rooftop Afro Club became a popular entertainment venue associated with celebrated performers such as Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Little Richard, and Tina Turner.
The building also housed the Majestic Café and other Black-operated businesses.
Together, these establishments made the hotel a destination for hospitality, music, business, and community life.
The Ben Moore Hotel was not simply a witness to history. It was one of the places where Montgomery’s Black community helped shape it.
What Happens Next for the Ben Moore Hotel?
Preservation efforts are being advanced by The Conservation Fund in collaboration with local preservation and community partners.
Potential future uses discussed by preservation organizations include restored hotel accommodations, a revived Afro Club, community-serving commercial spaces, and the return of businesses such as the Majestic Café.
These possibilities remain proposals rather than confirmed redevelopment plans.
The larger objective is to preserve the building while finding a sustainable future that honors its original role as a center of Black enterprise and cultural life.
For travelers interested in African American history, the restored property could eventually become another important heritage destination in Montgomery.
As of October 2026, the Ben Moore Hotel is not operating as a hotel and is not accepting reservations.
Why Preserving Black-Owned Hotel History Matters
Across the United States, many historic Black-owned hotels, inns, and guesthouses have disappeared through demolition, disinvestment, changing travel patterns, and redevelopment.
Some once served as important stops along the Green Book travel network. Others provided gathering places for musicians, civil rights activists, business leaders, and ordinary families.
Their stories form an essential chapter of American hospitality history.
Preserving properties such as the Ben Moore Hotel helps document the entrepreneurs who built these businesses and the communities they served.
It also creates opportunities for future generations to discover the connections between Black entrepreneurship, travel, cultural heritage, and economic independence.
At Black Hotel Guide, we believe the history of Black hospitality deserves recognition alongside the Black-owned and Black-led hotels, resorts, inns, and unique stays welcoming travelers today.
The Ben Moore Hotel’s preservation is an important reminder of that legacy.
Exploring Black History in Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery remains one of America’s most significant destinations for civil rights heritage tourism.
Visitors can explore historic sites associated with the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and the broader struggle for civil rights.
Notable attractions include the Rosa Parks Museum, Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the Legacy Museum, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
The Ben Moore Hotel, located in the Centennial Hill neighborhood, is another important part of that historical landscape, although the building is currently closed to visitors.
Travelers planning a trip to Montgomery can combine its major museums and memorials with opportunities to learn about the city’s Black-owned businesses and hospitality heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Ben Moore Hotel
Is the Ben Moore Hotel Black-owned?
Historically, yes. The Ben Moore Hotel was founded as a Black-owned hotel by African American entrepreneur Matthew Franklin Moore in 1951. The property was acquired by the nonprofit Conservation Fund in 2025 for preservation purposes. It should therefore be described as a historically Black-owned hotel rather than a currently Black-owned operating hotel.
Where is the Ben Moore Hotel located?
The Ben Moore Hotel is located at 902 High Street in Montgomery’s historic Centennial Hill neighborhood in Alabama.
Why is the Ben Moore Hotel historically important?
The hotel served Black travelers during segregation, appeared in the Negro Motorist Green Book, and became a gathering place for civil rights leaders, entertainers, and members of Montgomery’s African American community.
How much funding did the Ben Moore Hotel receive?
In October 2026, Montgomery announced $800,000 in federal preservation grants to support the hotel’s rehabilitation, historical documentation, and National Register nomination work.
Was the Ben Moore Hotel listed in the Green Book?
Yes. The Ben Moore Hotel appeared in the Negro Motorist Green Book, which helped African American travelers identify welcoming accommodations and businesses during segregation.
→ Discover the original Green Book Hotels Still Standing Today
Did Martin Luther King Jr. visit the Ben Moore Hotel?
Yes. Historical accounts from the Smithsonian and preservation organizations document Dr. King’s connections to the hotel, including gatherings associated with Montgomery’s Civil Rights Movement.
Can visitors book a room at the Ben Moore Hotel today?
No. The Ben Moore Hotel is currently closed and undergoing preservation planning. No confirmed reopening date has been announced.
Will the Ben Moore Hotel reopen?
Preservation partners have discussed restoring hotel rooms and community spaces, but no finalized reopening plan or date has been publicly confirmed.
Discover Black Hospitality — Past and Present
The story of the Ben Moore Hotel is part of a much larger history of Black entrepreneurs building welcoming places for travelers.
From historic Green Book establishments to today’s Black-owned boutique hotels, luxury resorts, bed-and-breakfasts, and distinctive stays, Black hospitality continues to shape destinations around the world.
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