National Trust for Historic Preservation

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For other National Trusts, see National Trust (disambiguation).
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation magazine.

Its mission statement states:

"The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Save America’s Treasures office is now closed. Congress did not fund the Save America’s Treasures program in 2011 and has no plans to fund it in the future.[1]

Contents

History [edit]

The National Trust for Historic Preservation headquarters, also known as the Andrew Mellon Building, located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The building is a National Historic Landmark.

In 1947, a meeting convened by David E. Finley, Jr. culminated in the creation of the National Council for Historic Sites and Buildings. This group was able to obtain the congressional charter for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which President Harry S. Truman signed on October 26, 1949. Finley served as the National Trust's first chairman of the board, remaining in the position for 12 years.[2]

National Trust Historic Sites [edit]

Acoma Pueblo
Cliveden
Farnsworth House
Hotel de Paris

Twenty-nine sites are designated as National Trust Historic Sites. Most are owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and operated by other non-profit organizations (e.g., Farnsworth House); some are not owned by the Trust but are still operated by the Trust (e.g., President Lincoln's Cottage); some are owned and operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (e.g., Drayton Hall); and some are owned and operated by other non-profit organizations and hold a long-term cooperative agreement with the National Trust for Historic Preservation (e.g., Lower East Side Tenement Museum). These sites currently include:

National Trust Main Street Center [edit]

The National Trust Main Street Center leads a coast-to-coast movement of 1,200 state, regional, and local programs, linked through a preservation-based strategy for rebuilding downtown areas. The Main Street Four-Point Approach is a community-driven, comprehensive strategy used to revitalize downtown and neighborhood business districts throughout the United States.

Historic Hotels of America [edit]

The National Trust has also compiled a list of hotels registered as "Historic Hotels of America" [1] because they are at least 50 years old and have faithfully maintained their historic character and ambiance.

National Trust Community Investment Corporation [edit]

National Trust Community Investment Corporation better known as "NTCIC", the for-profit subsidiary of the National Trust, makes equity investments in real estate projects that qualify for federal historic tax credits and when available, state historic and New Markets Tax Credits.

National Trust Preservation Conference [edit]

The National Preservation Conference is the largest gathering of its kind in the United States, annually attracting more than 2,000 attendees to participate in a weeklong series of field sessions, education workshops, and tours that showcase outstanding local examples of architecture, historic preservation and community revitalization. For over 65 years, the National Preservation Conference has attracted preservationists, community leaders, architects, educators and students from all over the country to examine leading-edge topics in the field of historic preservation.

Partners in Preservation [edit]

Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awards preservation grants to historic places across the country. Through this program, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United States and to preserve America’s historic and cultural places.

This six-year-old program has awarded nearly 100 preservation projects with $6.5 million in grant funding. Projects in San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Seattle and Saint Paul/Minneapolis have all been a part of the Partners in Preservation program. In 2012, the program will be in New York City.[3]

Barn Again! program [edit]

In 1987 the National Trust established the Barn Again! program to assist and encourage people to preserve historic barns. This program acts as a clearinghouse for information, training, and advocacy for the preservation and adaption of historic barns.

"America's 11 Most Endangered Places" [edit]

Each year since 1988, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has compiled a list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Places" in an effort to protect America's architectural, cultural, and natural heritage.

2011 Places [edit]

In June 2011, the National Trust announced its list of 11 most endangered places to be:

  • Bear Butte, South Dakota
  • National Soldiers Home, Historic District, Wisconsin
  • Prentice Women’s Hospital, Illinois
  • Isaac Manchester Farm, Pennsylvania
  • John Coltrane Home, New York
  • Belmead-on-the-James, Virginia
  • Fort Gaines, Alabama
  • Greater Chaco Landscape, New Mexico
  • China Alley, California
  • Pillsbury “A” Mill Complex, Minnesota
  • Sites Imperiled by State Actions, Nationwide

2010 Places [edit]

In April 2010, the trust announced its list of 11 most endangered places to be:

Previous endangered places [edit]

In recent, previous years, this list has included:

National Treasures [edit]

National Treasures are irreplaceable, critically threatened places across the country where the National Trust for Historic Preservation is making a deep organizational investment. Guided by more than 60 years of experience, the National Trust is taking direct action to protect these places and promote their history and significance, engaging local preservationists to help us advance the cause of preservation nationally.

About its partnership with each National Treasure:

For each National Treasure, the National Trust for Historic Preservation creates coordinated campaigns that tap expert resources across the organization, including preservation, advocacy, legal, marketing and fund-raising. When the National Treasures has met the Trust’s protection goals, the site will rotate out of the active campaign collection to free up resources for a new endangered place.

Historic Tax Credits [edit]

The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s policy work encourages the adoption of laws and policies that support preservation; currently through the promotion of the Creating American Prosperity through Preservation (CAPP) Act which will enhance the federal historic tax credit.

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Save America’s Treasures website
  2. ^ Young, Dwight (November/December 2006). "Finley Was There: Recalling an arts leader". Preservaton. p. 64 
  3. ^ "American Express, National Trust for Historic Preservation to Award $3 Million in Grants to Historic Places in New York.". Wall Street Journal MarketWatch. Retrieved 4 March 2012. 

External links [edit]

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