Forum Blog - Preservation Leadership Forum - A Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Saving Scofield Mansion

By Special Contributor posted 5 days ago

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By Robert Klein Scofield Mansion is one of only 10 known remaining buildings designed by architect and sculptor Levi Scofield, who is best known for the Soldier’s and Sailor’s Monument that stands in Cleveland’s Public Square. Scofield designed and built his family home on Cleveland’s East Side in 1898. “It was designed in a very picturesque setting to overlook the city,” said Kathleen Crowther, president of the Cleveland Restoration Society . “He built it in a bucolic area to have magnificent ...

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On the Hill: Building on Appropriations Success and Protecting Public Lands

By Janelle DiLuccia posted 5 days ago

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Despite the highly polarized political environment, Congress is making progress on funding bills and legislation relevant to the historic preservation community. Read on for a roundup of current bills and advocacy efforts. To receive regular updates from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s government relations team, click here to sign up for our new monthly newsletter. Credit: Architect of the Capitol House and Senate Appropriations Bills On June 6 the House Appropriations ...

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Smart Growth and Resilience in the Face of Another Ellicott City Flood

By Nicholas Redding posted 11 days ago

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When I last visited Ellicott City just a few weeks ago, I saw a community full of hope and potential. Two years after the devastating 2016 flood, Main Street bustled with activity and new life. Just a few short days later, that new reality was shattered by a ferocious wall of water. Ellicott City's Main Street circa 1890 | Credit: Library of Congress In the span of less than 24 months, Ellicott City has endured two “1,000-year” floods. In 2016 the preservation community rallied ...

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Holistic Approaches, Inclusive Change

By Lawana Holland-Moore posted 12 days ago

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The core mission of preservation is to save the material culture of our past and interpret history. But how do the evaluation processes we use align with what the communities we work in value? What if there is no “material” to preserve? Whose history do we interpret, and who gets to say? To truly connect with the communities we hope to serve, we must use more inclusive, holistic approaches in our evaluation processes. Nominating Tillie’s Corner Like many African Americans, Lillie Pearson left ...

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Replacing the Ceiling at the Glass House

By Forum Online posted 18 days ago

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In 2015 staff at the Glass House —a National Trust for Historic Preservation historic site—observed a noticeable sag in the ceiling. It had dropped low enough to disturb the swing of two doors, and the dips were visible from outside the building. The investigation team discovered that the wood framing for the metal lath had been attached using nails, and over time, the weight of the plaster had pulled the nails down and out of the roof framing. Finished Glass House ceiling, March 2018 | ...

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Safeguarding Our Heritage: Preserving Cherokee Nation

By Special Contributor posted 20 days ago

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By Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker Editor's Note: The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Trustees Emeritus Award for Historic Site Stewardship recognizes success and innovation in historic preservation, management, and programming at historic sites. Want to submit a nomination for this year’s award? Learn more about the criteria and nomination process here . The deadline for nominations is June 29, 2018. Historic preservation for Cherokee Nation means safeguarding ...

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Lessons Learned from Saving the Historic Tax Credit: Messaging Through Media Engagement and High-Level Resources

By Special Contributor posted 25 days ago

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By Andy Grabel, Sarah Heffern, Michael Phillips, Renee Kuhlman, Shaw Sprague On December 20, 2017, during the final hours of congressional action on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the historic tax credit (HTC) was added back into the bill . The HTC is the single most important incentive for the preservation of our nation’s historic buildings and has been instrumental in preserving more than 42,000 nationally significant resources. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National ...

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Lessons Learned from Saving the Historic Tax Credit: Building an Advocacy Network to Connect with Legislators

By Special Contributor posted 25 days ago

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By Renee Kuhlman, Shaw Sprague, Michael Phillips, Andy Grabel, and Sarah Heffern On December 20, 2017, during the final hours of congressional action on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the historic tax credit (HTC) was added back into the bill . The HTC is the single most important incentive for the preservation of our nation’s historic buildings and has been instrumental in preserving more than 42,000 nationally significant resources. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National ...

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Lessons Learned from Saving the Historic Tax Credit: Launching the Campaign

By Special Contributor posted 26 days ago

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By Renee Kuhlman, Shaw Sprague, Michael Phillips, Andy Grabel, and Sarah Heffern On December 20, 2017, during the final hours of congressional action on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, t he historic tax credit (HTC) was added back into the bill . The HTC is the single most important incentive for the preservation of our nation’s historic buildings and has been instrumental in preserving more than 42,000 nationally significant resources. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Trust ...

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Forum Webinar: Building Connections Using Social Photography + Video

By Forum Online posted 05-17-2018

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During the latest Forum Webinar, presenters discussed the importance of using social photography and video to build connections and audience. Listen to a recording of the webinar to hear Sarah Heffern, Kirsten Hower, and Raina Regan from the National Trust for Historic Preservation—as well as Liz Williams from Gadsby's Tavern—discuss using Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook Live, and more. The presenters emphasized using visual media on social networks to engage a wide variety of audiences around preservation: ...

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Long Day’s Journey into New London

By Special Contributor posted 05-16-2018

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By Emily Choi The fog was where I wanted to be. Halfway down the path you can’t see this house. You’d never know it was here… That’s what I wanted—to be alone with myself in another world where truth is untrue and life can hide from itself.” —Eugene O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night I stood at that same spot, halfway down the path. There wasn’t any fog, but I could easily imagine my favorite author sitting on the Monte Cristo Cottage porch. Long Day’s Journey was particularly “close ...

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We’re Going to San Francisco: PastForward 2018 Field Study Preview

By Colleen Danz posted 05-11-2018

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Earlier this month a group of National Trust for Historic Preservation staff traveled to San Francisco for a site visit in advance of PastForward 2018 , which will take place November 13–16. This trip provided conference staff based in Washington, D.C., with an opportunity to conduct dry runs of events and tours, check out meeting spaces, and connect with our local supporters. Get a sneak peek at this year’s Field Studies and special events, along with a look at our host city, by searching for ...

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Proving the Power of Place: President Lincoln’s Cottage Visitor Impact Study

By Special Contributor posted 05-07-2018

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By Erin Carlson Mast A version of this piece originally appeared on the American Alliance of Museums website on March 20, 2018. The “Lincoln shiver” is what many of the staff and advisers called it during the restoration of President Lincoln’s Cottage . The shiver is a feeling one gets just by being in the Cottage—or on the grounds—here at the Soldiers’ Home , on a hilltop in northwest Washington, D.C. The shiver came at different times for different people. For some, it was when they ...

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Building a People-Centered Preservation Movement in Atlanta

By Leslie Canaan posted 05-04-2018

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Editor’s note: May is Preservation Month, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation encourages you to celebrate the important places in your community. Can creating equitable and sustainable communities through a people-centered preservation movement—as well as the other key concepts outlined in Preservation for People: A Vision for the Future —help you save the places that matter to you? Let us know what the future of preservation means to you: download the "This Place Matters" ...

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Raised on Cornbread and Recollections

By David J. Brown posted 05-02-2018

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Earlier this month I took a memorable trip from Memphis, Tennessee, down to the Mississippi Delta with a group of preservation and history enthusiasts. Dr. Bill Ferris , the former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and one of the nation’s leading scholars on the American South, joined us and helped set the context for what we were seeing in Mississippi towns such as Oxford, Sumner , Indianola , and Dockery Farms . He spoke knowledgeably and passionately about the connections ...

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Preservation Month 2018: 31 Days of Action for Preservation

By Forum Online posted 05-01-2018

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We spend all year advocating for places that matter. During Preservation Month, we flex our preservationist muscles by setting aside time to celebrate and explore historic places in innovative ways. This May the National Trust needs your help. Complete the action items on the list below, and let us know when you've done so by tagging #ThisPlaceMatters . We can’t wait to see what you accomplish! This Place Matters at Arcadia Center for Food and Sustainable Agriculture at Woodlawn, a National ...

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Using Historic Preservation to Honor a More Diverse American Story

By Special Contributor posted 04-27-2018

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By Saima Akhtar Editor’s note: Preservation Month is coming up in May, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation encourages you to celebrate the important places in your community. Can building a more inclusive, people-centered preservation movement—as well as the other key concepts outlined in Preservation for People: A Vision for the Future —help you save the places that matter to you? Let us know what the future of preservation means to you: download the "This Place Matters" ...

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Historic Places, Green Spaces: Teaching Preservation in Miami

By Christine Rupp posted 04-26-2018

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In an effort to increase community awareness and engage young minds in historic preservation, the Dade Heritage Trust , Miami-Dade County’s largest historic preservation organization, developed a Florida curriculum standards–based program called Historic Places, Green Spaces. Funded through local foundations, the free program has been well received and is setting its sights on expansion. Kids in participate in the Historic Places, Green Spaces program in Lumnus Park. | Credit: Dade Heritage ...

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Plays Well with Others: Preservation Work Through Partnerships

By Ethiel Garlington posted 04-20-2018

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Editor’s note: Preservation Month is coming up in May, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation encourages you to celebrate the important places in your community. Can collaborating with new and existing partners—as well as the other key concepts outlined in Preservation for People: A Vision for the Future —help you save the places that matter to you? Let us know what the future of preservation means to you: download the "This Place Matters" toolkit , and share your photos on social ...

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Addressing Deferred Maintenance Through Dedicated Funding and Public-Private Partnerships

By Pam Bowman posted 04-19-2018

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Our national parks tell the stories of remarkable people and events in our nation’s history. The network of 417 parks and sites stewarded by the National Park Service (NPS) spans more than 84 million acres across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and many U.S. territories. Unfortunately, after more than 100 years of operation and inconsistent public funding, the National Park System faces a deferred maintenance backlog estimated at $11.6 billion, of which approximately 47 percent is attributed ...

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