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A New Advocacy Tool for Establishing or Improving State Historic Tax Credits

By Special Contributor posted 18 hours ago
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By Renee Kuhlman and Shaw Sprague Is your community considering policy changes to its state historic tax credit (HTC)? The National Trust for Historic Preservation has developed a best practices guide for preservation advocates and lawmakers interested in establishing or improving their state HTC incentives . State HTCs can increase building reuse, revitalize areas of disinvestment, and drive innovative approaches to addressing state policy priorities.  While the preservation community rightfully ...
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2018 PastForward Virtual Attendance and Social Media Details

By Colleen Danz posted 2 days ago
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By Colleen Danz PastForward 2018 kicks off here in San Francisco this week! Preservationists from all over the country—and even some of our international colleagues—will come together to learn, mingle, and immerse themselves in all that this amazing city has to offer.  Can't attend in person? You can still be a part of the conversation. While we want everyone to be able to participate in all the programming, networking events, and unique experiences in San Francisco, we also want to provide ...
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On the Hill: A Legislative Agenda in a New Congress

By Tom Cassidy posted 5 days ago
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To receive regular updates from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s government relations team,   sign up   for our new monthly newsletter. Certainly, the most consequential change resulting from Tuesday’s election is the change in leadership of the House of Representatives from the Republican to the Democratic party. The Senate Republican majority has become larger, solidifying the ability of majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the president to push forward their agenda. ...
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Excavating History: A Conversation with Bill Watanabe and Marjorie Akin

By Special Contributor posted 6 days ago
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By Amy Guay While organizations like Asian and Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation take on the challenge of representing the preservation needs of a diverse and sprawling Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) community, other APIA-related groups have a more narrow focus. The Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) and Save Our Chinatown Committee (SOCC) are two California-based groups seeking to preserve specific places significant to Asian America. In 1990 the Riverside ...
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Annual Report Details Economic Benefits of the Historic Tax Credit

By Shaw Sprague posted 7 days ago
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For the past five years, the preservation community has benefitted from a partnership between the National Park Service’s (NPS) Technical Preservation Services and Rutgers University’s Center for Urban Policy Research. Through this partnership, the NPS has produced the “ Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credit ,” which highlights the economic benefits of the federal historic tax credit (HTC). This report differs from NPS’ annual HTC statistical report because ...
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Remembering Dr. William J. Murtagh: Keeper of the Register, Preservation Pioneer

By David J. Brown posted 11 days ago
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Bill Murtagh, who passed away on October 28 at age 95, was among the most visible and effective preservation leaders in the middle of the 20th century, when the movement was expanding its focus from historic sites, museums, and teaching to the emphasis on people and community that we recognize today. To those of us who came to preservation in the 1970s and ’80s, Bill was seemingly in the middle of everything. He served two stints at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, first as President ...
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PastForward Preview: Victoria Herrmann, President and Managing Director of the Arctic Institute

By Forum Online posted 13 days ago
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Victoria Herrmann, Ph.D., is the president and managing director of The Arctic Institute , a nonprofit dedicated to Arctic security research. She is also a National Geographic Explorer and recently led America's Eroding Edges , a research and storytelling project on coastal climate change adaptation and cultural heritage in the United States and U.S. territories. With the support of a J.M.K. Innovation Prize , she is now creating a skills-based volunteering platform to connect under-resourced ...
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A New Tool for Exploring America's Historic Post Offices

By Brian Turner posted 15 days ago
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation is pleased to announce the publication of a digital tool that shares stories of how America’s post offices have been adapted for community-serving uses. “SOLD: America's Historic Post Offices” is a GIS-enabled story map that documents 20 historic post office buildings from coast to coast that have been offered for sale. Buildings are categorized across five themes: whether they have retained postal services after transfer, were transferred with deed restrictions, ...
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It Takes a Coalition: Preserving George Washington’s Princeton Battlefield

By Special Contributor posted 19 days ago
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By Jim Lighthizer   Coalitions are vital for harnessing the power of strong, unified voices and inspiring concerted action. Where a single voice would not be enough to succeed, forming an alliance of like-minded preservation organizations can shift the balance. Over a span of two years, the American Battlefield Trust was proud to be a part of one such coalition composed of national and international leaders in conservation and preservation determined to save a critical piece of history:  the ...
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Remembering John H. Bryan Jr.—Philanthropist, Collector, and Connoisseur

By Carrie Villar posted 20 days ago
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Many tributes are sure to be written to honor John H. Bryan Jr., as his death this October marked the end of a life of achievement. Beyond his career accomplishments, most recently as CEO of the Sara Lee Corporation, he will be remembered for his incredible generosity in the fields of the arts, architecture, culture, and historic preservation. He had a lasting impact on the Chicago landscape, helping protect landmarks such as the Lyric Opera House and Orchestra Hall and spearheading the effort that ...
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PastForward Offers Opportunity to See Preservation’s Many Facets

By David J. Brown posted 21 days ago
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Preservation allies from all corners of the country will converge in San Francisco for PastForward 2018, November 13–16. There are now more ample opportunities than ever before to experience the powerful preservation work being done on the west coast. Recently I have found myself there, once again in the company of people deeply engaged in local work with national implications.  As a member of the board of directors at Filoli , a National Trust for Historic Preservation Historic Site in Woodside, ...
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Accessory Dwelling Units in Historic Districts: A Denver Case Study

By Special Contributor posted 26 days ago
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By Jessica Hanlon Accessory dwelling units (ADUs)—also known as carriage houses, granny flats, or even garage apartments—are an important and effective strategy for accommodating density without demolition. When thoughtfully sited, scaled, and designed, ADUs can be neatly nestled into the historical fabric of any neighborhood. Cities with a high demand for housing—like Portland, Oregon, or Seattle—have seen a recent rise in ADU development. And just a few miles over the Canadian border, Vancouver ...
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PastForward Preview: Milton Chen, Senior Fellow and Executive Director Emeritus of The George Lucas Educational Foundation

By Forum Online posted 27 days ago
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Dr. Milton Chen , senior fellow and executive director emeritus at The George Lucas Educational Foundation and chair of the education committee of the National Park System Advisory Board , understands the deep connections between place, story, and the preservation of cultural heritage. In his presentation at PastForward 2018 , he will share his passion for K–12 education and challenge us to consider our work preserving tangible and intangible heritage as foundational to educating the next generation.  ...
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Where Culture Meets Nature: Route 66 and the Landscapes of America

By Forum Online posted 10-12-2018
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The most enduring highway in our public consciousness, Route 66 represents a chapter in our history that continues to define the nation’s identity: the rise of the automobile and its implications of freedom, mobility, and a quintessential American story. From July 2 to August 3, 2018, National Trust for Historic Preservation staff Diana Tisue, Grant Stevens, and Jason Clement traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles with a handful of roadies, uncovering new stories and meeting the diverse ...
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On the Hill: Key Legislative Priorities Advancing as Clock Winds Down on the 115th Congress

By Forum Online posted 10-10-2018
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By Government Relations Staff To receive regular updates from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s government relations team, sign up for our new monthly newsletter. “It’s a Good Day for Public Lands” On October 2 the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced two bills —the Restore Our Parks Act ( S. 3172 ) and the Land and Water Conservation Authorization and Funding Act ( S. 569 )—that would make tremendous investments in preserving historic and cultural ...
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Lobbying for Preservation: Lessons Learned from the Palace of the Governors

By Forum Online posted 10-05-2018
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation added the Palace of the Governors to our portfolio of National Treasures in 2015, simultaneously launching a multiyear advocacy effort to secure $1.5 million from the New Mexico state legislature for necessary repairs to this iconic Santa Fe landmark. The Palace of the Governors, said to be the oldest continuously occupied public building in the country, was constructed by Spanish colonists around 1610. This one-story adobe structure on the north side ...
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Talking World Heritage in Granada

By Brian Turner posted 10-04-2018
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Editor's note:   For more on Brian Turner's presentation in Grenada r ead his previous post , in which he discusses intangible heritage preserved through the San Francisco Legacy Business Program. The 2018 International Conference on Heritage and Sustainable Development had global purpose: a shared sense of commitment to preserving the world’s places and traditions. In June committed heritage advocates from six continents gathered in Granada, Spain, for three jam-packed days of presentations. ...
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PastForward Reading List: Resilience

By Forum Online posted 10-03-2018
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Editor’s note: As in years past, Preservation Leadership Forum is presenting a series of reading lists based on the major themes planned for PastForward 2018: intangible heritage, culture-nature, and resilience. This reading list was prepared in close collaboration with our panelists and with Anthony Veerkamp, director of policy development for the National Trust’s Research & Policy Lab. The three tracks will overlap significantly, so make sure to check out the  intangible heritage reading ...
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Blog Series: America's Eroding Edges

By Forum Online posted 10-01-2018
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The edges of our country are eroding. From Alaska to Louisiana, centuries of culture, tangible history, and dynamic communities are being battered by stronger storms and sea level rise—raising difficult questions about adaptation, relocation, and what it means to be an American experiencing climate change today. Driftwood piles up on the edge of Shaktoolik’s gravel berm. | Credit: Victoria Herrmann and Eli Keene In 2016 the National Trust for Historic Preservation partnered with ...
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Virtual Reality Tours: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned at Villa Lewaro

By Carson Bear posted 09-28-2018
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In May 2018 the National Trust for Historic Preservation decided to create a virtual reality (VR) tour of Villa Lewaro , a National Trust National Treasure. The tour was designed to help us promote our work centering African American history at the 2018 Essence Festival in New Orleans, July 5–8. In the course of mapping out, executing, and promoting the VR tour in just two short months, we learned quite a few lessons that others doing this work might find useful. Villa Lewaro circa 1924 ...
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