Establishment of the Center
Beginning in July 1993, the National Park Service, the Secretary of the Interior and Northwestern State University of Louisiana began efforts to implement the purposes of the legislation. The first acting Executive Director of NCPTT was E. Blaine Cliver, Chief of the Preservation Assistance Division, NPS. The Center and its advisory board were organized throughout 1993 and 1994. In April 1994, a symposium was held on the Center's overall mission and proposed research, training, and information management activities.
Charter members of the PTT Board were Elizabeth A. Lyon, Robert Melnick, Neville Agnew, Nicholas Gianopulos, Jon Gibson, Alferdteen Harrison, James Huhta, James Judge, F. Blair Reeves, Carolyn Rose, Frank E. Sanchis, III, and Patti Jo Watson.
In 1994, NCPTT initiated its PTT Grants program and awarded over $500,000 through 15 grants. Grants ranged from studies of woody plants in historic landscapes, to energy performance of wood windows. Nine grants funded research efforts while six grants supported training activities.
Beginning in October 1994 the Center was staffed. John Robbins, a preservation architect, was hired as NCPTT's Executive Director. Other founding staff members included Mary S. Carroll, Frances Gale, Mark Gilberg, Ellen Kish, and Mary F. Striegel. Over the course of the next seven years, the staff implemented NCPTT's mission through three components - research, training, and information management. The work focused on innovative practical solutions to current preservation and conservation questions.
Dedication of Lee H. Nelson Hall and Forum
On November 7, 2001, NCPTT dedicated its current facility, Lee H. Nelson Hall located on the campus of Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, La. The building was completed and served as the new offices and laboratories after a long renovation and recovery from a devastating fire. Nearly 200 guests and dignitaries gathered on the south lawn for the building's formal dedication.
Immediately following, NPS held a two-day Forum, "Charting NCPTT's Role in Preserving America's Heritage in the 21st Century." Recognizing the successes of NCPTT's first decade, forty prominent preservation and conservation professionals from across the country joined NPS leadership to lay the foundation for NCPTT's second decade. The findings of the forum focused NCPTT on the following concepts:
- Place first and foremost emphasis on preservation technology research.
- Focus research on a limited number of topics as defined through research priorities.
- Create strategic partnerships to leverage resources and carry out projects of mutual interest.
- Serve the preservation community as a knowledge center and on-line resource.
- Define NCPTT's core audiences.
- Serve as a convener of experts to tackle a variety of preservation problems.
- Push the envelope in historic preservation education, training, and research through applications of emerging telecommunications and Web-enabled technologies.