Hampton Hotel Restores Historical Landmarks

April 4, 1968 marks the 4oth anniversary of National Civil Rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee while standing on the second floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel. Now, the motel is the site of the National Civil Rights Museum – a museum in need of a little tender loving care.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson and Hampton Hotel volunteers are working together to re-vamp the historical landmark. Putting in more than 1,000 volunteer hours to restore four exhibition rooms. They plan to replace the wallpaper, repaint the walls, repair displays, mend electrical components, renovate the exterior walkway and facade – and upgrade the landscape. Jackson and the Hampton Hotel volunteers hope to complete this project by April fourth, the anniversary of Dr. King’s passing.

This is not the only national landmark the Hampton Hotel volunteers plan to rescue. Under their new Save-A-Landmark program the Hotel plans to restore three others to kick start their 2008 campaign, Landmark Legends. Amelia Earhart’s Birthplace and Museum will take flight first, the Barnum Museum will be next and the Poe Museum will become a “Dream Within a Dream” when the volunteers get through with it.

Anyone can nominate their own Landmark Legend to Hampton Hotel’s Save-A-Landmark site.  Here are a few Landmarks already in the database:

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