In this Issue

	First Lady Designates 14 New Communities
	Community Applications Available
	Treasures of NOAA's Ark--Shipwrecks
	Historic Preservation Classes
	Make Some History
	Call for History Teacher of the Year Nominations
	Save Our History
	Community Spotlight: Philadelphia
	Economic Development Awards Available
	Ideas Worth Sharing...

Links

Preserve America News |February  2008

First Lady Designates 14 New Communities

On January 25, 2008, First Lady Laura Bush designated 14 new Preserve America Communities. This brings the total number of Preserve America Communities to 585. The new communities are located across the country from Alaska to Maine and reflect the diversity of America’s historic resources. The newest Preserve America Communities are Anchorage, Alaska; Fremont County, Colorado; New Britain, Connecticut; Hardin County, Iowa; Portland, Maine; Rockville, Maryland; Meridian, Mississippi; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; the Soulard Neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri; Jefferson County, Montana; Lincoln County, North Carolina; Lincolnton, North Carolina; Enterprise, Oregon; and Abbeville, South Carolina. View complete list of communities here.

Enterprise, Oregon, Hells Canyon Mule Days Parade

Community Applications Available

The 2008 application forms for Preserve America Communities and Neighborhoods are available here. Deadlines are quarterly: March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1.

Treasures of NOAA's Ark--Shipwrecks

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is celebrating its 2008 Heritage Week by inviting the public to its Silver Spring, Md. headquarters Feb. 2-10 for Shipwrecks!, a free exhibition about the world of shipwreck exploration and discovery. This special offering features shipwreck artifacts, robot subs, talks by undersea explorers and hands-on activities for kids of all ages. Visitors will also see exhibits about life aboard ship, navigation, safety at sea and more.

For more information call (301) 713-3066 or log on to http://preserveamerica.cmail1.com/t/1/l/ohyir/l/www.preserveamerica.noaa.gov.

Historic Preservation Classes

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation offers the only Section 106 course taught by the federal agency responsible for administering the National Historic Preservation Act’s Section 106 review process.

This two-day course is designed for those who are new to Section 106 review or those who want a refresher on its basic operation. The course explains the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which applies any time a federal, federally assisted, or federally approved activity might affect a property listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information on registering click here.

ACHP Assistant Director Reid Nelson teaches a Section 106 class in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Make Some History

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Trust for Historic Preservation will honor outstanding federal-non-federal partnerships that advance the preservation of important historic resources. The nomination deadline for the award is March 1, 2008. Click here for information. 

The National Trust and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are seeking nominations for the 2008 Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation. Any project completed within the last three years is eligible. Nominations are due by March 1, 2008. For details, click here.

Call for History Teacher of the Year Nominations

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History announces the fifth annual History Teacher of the Year Award, honoring outstanding teachers of American history across the country. To nominate a middle or high school teacher, send an e-mail to mailto:moses@gilderlehrman.org?subject=History Teacher of the Year, along with the teacher’s name, school and a short paragraph describing why the teacher is exceptional.

For more information click here.

Save Our History

Since launching the Save Our History grant program in 2004, the History Channel has awarded $1 million to historical organizations to fund hands-on, experiential educational projects that teach students about local history and actively engage them in preservation. Applications for the 2008-2009 school year are now being accepted. The deadline is June 6, 2008. More information here.

Community Spotlight: Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the fifth largest city in the United States. Founded by William Penn in 1682, the city hosted many significant events during the colonial, revolutionary, and early Republic periods in American history, including the drafting of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The city served as the capital of the United States from 1790 until 1800, when the federal government relocated to Washington, D.C.

Philadelphia’s importance as a historic and cultural center attracts new residents and makes it one of the top tourism destinations in the United States. Philadelphia is home to the recently opened National Constitution Center, Independence National Historical Park, and the Liberty Bell. Within walking distance of the Liberty Bell are 40 cultural institutions, museums, historic sites, and some of the nation’s preeminent archives. Historic Fairmount Park contains seven interpreted National Historic Landmarks, and the city as a whole has 58, as well as seven National Historic Landmark Districts, 401 buildings and structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places and 53 National Register Districts. Learn more.

On November 13, 2007, Philadelphia’s Preserve America sign was unveiled during a ceremony at the historic Fairmount Park Water Works.

From left: John Bravacos, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Region III Director; Wayne Spilove, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Chair; and Mark Focht, Fairmount Park Executive Director.

Economic Development Awards Available

The Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Department of Commerce announces the EDA Excellence in Economic Development Awards 2008 to recognize exemplary economic development accomplishments in communities. The nomination brochure is available for review and download here.

The new nomination category of Excellence in Historic Preservation-led Strategies to Enhance Economic Development is noteworthy. Nominations submitted in this category would demonstrate significant use of regional historic assets (including heritage tourism) to advance innovative economic development strategies resulting in higher-skill, higher-wage jobs and substantial private capital investment. EDA is accepting nominations through April 16, 2008. 

Questions? Contact Barbara Earman at (202) 482-4521.

Ideas Worth Sharing...

Did you ever think of combining people's interest in food with increasing their appreciation of local heritage resources? Fayetteville, Georgia, has been creative in this area, combining its "Taste of Fayetteville" weekend festival with an interactive "Taste of Living History" program. Visitors can step back to the 1800s and learn how to make rope, shell corn, weave on an antique loom, and learn how a violin is made. Fayetteville also built upon its popular "Great Pumpkin Fest" by adding Great Georgia Ghosts Storytelling tours and an exhibit on Victorian mourning customs and artifacts in a historic building.

In Wilmington, North Carolina, a "Flavors of the Past" event paired local restaurants and historic sites. An event ticket included admission to four historic sites and a morning cruise aboard an 1850s showboat. Visitors to each site enjoyed live period music, while the restaurants served food samples based on historic recipes.

Aberdeen, South Dakota, drew a standing-room-only crowd to a re-creation of a World War II troop canteen in its historic depot, where local women fed service personnel passing through on troop trains from 1943-1946. Music, commentary, and food focused the spotlight on this historic site.

These are imaginative ideas of how a community can tap into the popularity of food-related events while encouraging the public to experience and appreciate local history.

Share your experience with other communities…

Does your community use podcasting or other popular technologies to tell the stories of your historic resources to visitors? Please send a brief description of what you do and how well it is working to Judy Rodenstein.

Each edition of the Preserve America e-newsletter will feature innovative and interesting projects, programs, events and partnerships. We hope Preserve America Communities all over the country will inspire each other and share their creative thinking.

Wilmington, North Carolina, waterfront