ATLANTA — The National Park Service held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday morning to celebrate the completion of the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge restoration project at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park and Preservation District.

Built in 1937, the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge housed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference Executive Offices from 1960 to 1968, where Dr. King and his team carried out much of their civil rights work.

Officials say the renovation was a collaboration between the Trust for Public Land, Prince Hall Masons, and the National Park Service.

The park is set to begin programming in the SCLC space this spring through a grant from the National Park Foundation called “Activate Historic Auburn Avenue.” The initiative aims to use technology to enhance the visitor experience.

“The park remains committed to working with the King family, the Masons, Eastern Stars, and partners to preserve the Sweet Auburn community and share the legacy of Dr. King in the neighborhood that shaped him and his philosophies,” said Reginald Chapple, Superintendent of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park and Preservation District.

The project was funded in part by the Robert Smith Fund II Foundation and preserves a key component of Dr. King’s story and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.