GSA  # 10504 

May 12, 2008
Contacts:  MaryAnneBeatty, (202) 501-1231
maryanne.beatty@gsa.gov
Melissa Williams, (202) 501-1231
Melissa.williams@gsa.gov

WASHINGTON – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), known for its preservation of legacy buildings that reflect our nation’s strength, spirit and imagination, observes National Preservation Month.

GSA continues to be recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and other state and local preservation organizations for its innovative approaches to adapting buildings without compromising historically significant materials and spaces.

 “I’m honored to lead GSA’s Public Buildings Service (PBS) in reaffirming our commitment to the preservation of the historic buildings in our care,” said David Winstead, PBS Commissioner.   “GSA is the steward of one of the most architecturally significant inventories of historic federal buildings.” 

By reusing and reinvesting in historic courthouses and federal buildings, GSA meets customer space needs in unique ways. GSA does this by exploring a wider range of rehabilitation approaches that take into account not only building character and merit, but also the economic conditions of a particular location.  GSA continues to maintain a rich and diverse inventory reflecting the nation’s public building heritage.

Through its Historic Buildings program, GSA helps preserve America’s heritage by developing viable strategies for the continued use of historic buildings it owns, leases, and has the opportunity to acquire.  This includes custom houses, courthouses, post offices, border stations, and federal agency offices across the U.S. and its territories.  Many are grand structures designed to serve a symbolic and ceremonial, as well as functional purpose. 

GSA also has a series of posters and brochures that highlight more than 70 of our most significant historic buildings. These featured buildings span over 150 years of construction and were designed by such architects as Cass Gilbert, Alfred B. Mullet, Robert Mills, Paul P. Cret and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. 

For more information about GSA’s historic inventory or our preservation initiatives visit www.gsa.gov/historicpreservation.

Preserve America, Executive Order 13287, establishes federal policy to provide leadership in preserving America’s heritage by actively advancing the protection, enhancement, and contemporary use of the historic properties owned by the federal government.

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GSA provides a centralized delivery system of products and services to the federal government, leveraging its enormous buying power to get the best value for taxpayers.

• Founded in 1949, GSA manages more than one-fourth of the government’s total procurement dollars and influences the management of $500 billion in federal assets, including 8,600 government-owned or leased buildings and 208,000 vehicles.
• GSA helps preserve our past and define our future, as a steward of more than 425 historic properties, and as manager of USA.gov, the official portal to federal government information and services.
• GSA’s mission to provide superior workplaces, expert technology solutions, acquisition services, purchasing and E-Gov travel solutions and management policies, at best value, allows federal agencies to focus on their core missions.

Did You Know?  GSA manages over 425 historic buildings including 64 National Historic Landmarks and 2 National Historic Sites.