2008 Preserve America Presidential Awards Presented
May 12, 2008--WASHINGTON, D.C.— Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States and Honorary Chair of Preserve America, today announced and presented the 2008 Preserve America Presidential Awards at a White House ceremony. This is the highest national award for historic preservation achievement.
The winners are the following: African Burial Ground Project, New York, New York; Corinth and Alcorn County Mississippi Heritage Tourism Initiative; Lower East Side Tenement Museum, New York, New York; and Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.
Read below for details on the winners’ projects and to access high resolution photos.
Receiving the award for the African Burial Ground Project were Mark Dremel, Project Executive, U.S. General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service and Howard Dodson, Chief, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library. Accepting on behalf of the Corinth and Alcorn County Mississippi Heritage Tourism Initiative were Rosemary Williams, Chairperson, Siege and Battle of Corinth Commission and Gary Hendrix Chandler, President of the Alliance.
Accepting on behalf of the Lower East Side Tenement Museum were Renee Epps, Executive Vice President, and Steve Long, Vice President of Education and Collections. Accepting for the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program were F. Lawerence Oaks, Executive Director, Texas Historical Commission and David Gravelle, Vice Chairman, Texas Historical Commission.
“This year’s honorees each represent a significant period in our nation’s history. Their preservation efforts ensure Americans gain a greater knowledge of our nation’s past while impacting the economic vitality of their communities, states and the nation,” said John L. Nau, III, chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), which administers the award program on behalf of the White House.
The Presidential Awards are one component of Preserve America, a White House initiative that highlights the efforts of President and Mrs. Bush to celebrate and preserve our nation’s cultural heritage assets. This is the fifth year the Preserve America Presidential Awards have been conferred in May, which is National Preservation Month.
The Preserve America Presidential Awards are given annually to organizations, businesses, and government entities for:
- exemplary accomplishments in the sustainable use and preservation of cultural or natural heritage assets;
- demonstrated commitment to the protection and interpretation of America’s cultural or natural heritage assets; and
- integration of these assets into contemporary community life, combining innovative, creative, and responsible approaches to showcasing historic local resources.
The recipients are chosen through a national competition administered by the ACHP in cooperation with the Executive Office of the President, and in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior. For more information, please visit www.preserveamerica.gov. For photographs and information on the 2008 Preserve America Presidential Award winners, see below.
Summaries of 2008 Preserve America Presidential Award Honorees
African Burial Ground ProjectMore project details here. Project photographs here.
The Corinth and Alcorn County Mississippi Heritage Tourism Initiative
More project details here. Project photographs here.
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
More project details here. Project photographs here.
Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program
More project details here. Project photographs here.
ABOUT THE ACHP: The ACHP, an independent federal agency, promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of the nation’s historic and cultural resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. It also provides a forum for influencing federal activities, programs, and policies that impact historic properties. See www.achp.gov for more information.
Posted June 24, 2008