1. The Preservation Movement and the
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Chapter 3
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2. Congress passed the bill establishing it in 1949
The American historic preservation movement has developed only one major organization—the National Trust for Historic Preservation—which is a privately funded nonprofit organization representing private citizens
Congress passed the bill establishing it in 1949
It came out of the National Council for Historic Sites and Buildings which was merged with the National Trust in 1952
Roughly patterned after the British National Trust, a longstanding organization with an eminent history, the National Trust role was to accept contributions of properties and funds, and to administer such properties
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3. The British National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty began in 1895 as a privately funded organization
It owns historic houses, gardens, early factories, workhouses, paintings, sculptures, and many coastline and countryside properties
Largest private landowner in the United Kingdom with over 200 houses and 610,000 acres of land
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4. Today it owns 10 historic sites and is co-steward of 17 others
The National Trust’s first property was Woodlawn Plantation in Mount Vernon, Virginia, which it acquired in 1951
Today it owns 10 historic sites and is co-steward of 17 others
One of its sites is in San Antonio—the Norton-Polk-Mathis House in the King William Historic District, also known as “Villa Finale”
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5. This only lasted until 1998, however
With the passage of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, it became a recipient of federal matching funds for the first time
This only lasted until 1998, however
It has a quarterly magazine, “Preservation”
Its programs include National Treasures which identifies significant sites facing imminent threats and Historic Hotels of America
Two major programs it initiated were Main Street, which became the National Main Street Center, and the Maritime Preservation program.
Both of these programs deal with the preservation of communities
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6. Since 1988 it has published an annual list of the Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places
In 2015 the list included the Fort Worth Stockyards and the Grand Canyon (both threatened with development)
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7. A five-year plan was adopted in 1983 with four objectives:
Identify and act on important national preservation issues
Support, broaden, and strengthen organized preservation efforts
Target communications to those who affect the future of historic resources
Expand private and public financial resources for preservation activities
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8. Other properties it owns are:
Chesterwood, Stockbridge Massachusetts
Farnsworth House, Plano Illinois by Mies Van de Rohe
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9. The Gaylord Building in Lockport, Illinois
Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut
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10. President Lincoln’s Cottage, in Washington, DC
Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, New York
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11. Shadows-on-the-Teche New Iberia, Louisiana
Woodrow Wilson House, Washington, DC
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12. And Woodlawn Plantation and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House, Alexandria, VA
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13. Footnote to text: the organization moved from the Mellon property in 2013 to the historic Watergate office complex
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14. The Main Street Program
Participants pay a nominal annual fee to participate
They receive design services from the Texas Main Street Program
Strategic planning and organizational management
On-site training for Main Street managers, boards and participants
Conference participation
Technical assistance on resources for funding projects and furthering economic development
Access for non-entitlement communities and designated Main Street communities to a Main Street-specific pool of improvement funds
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15. The city must hire a full-time Main Street Director and show the following:
Historic commercial fabric and historic identity
Community and private sector support and organizational capacity
Public support and financial capacity
Physical capacity—cohesiveness, distinctiveness and variety of business activity in the area
Demonstrated need and expected impact
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16. Four Point Approach to Downtown Revitalization
Organization
Partnerships between groups that share and interest in the health of the downtown, including the City, Citizens, and those who own businesses in the downtown work to form a vision for the downtown and the community
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17. Promotion
THC-Main Street will work with the steering committee to market a unified, quality image of the business district as the center of activities, goods and services.
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18. Design
Utilizing and capitalizing on the downtown’s uniques physical assets and heritage, design activities such as building rehabilitations, utilization of preservation-based tools and ordinances and effective planning practices to create an active district and maintain its authenticity
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19. Economic Vitality
A targeted program is developed to identify new market opportunities for the commercial district, find new used for historic buildings, and stimulate investment in property
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20.
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