The National Park Service plays an integral part in preservation, being responsible for many of our country’s most significant historical sites. Other government agencies, local governments and volunteer professionals all help contribute.
Property owners may be motivated to preserve historic buildings due to government incentives or their desire to attract tourists to the community, but overlapping permit requirements could make it impossible for them to save a structure considered “historic.”
History
At the dawn of American independence, residents grappled with an important practical question: whether historic preservation should be seen as a public good. Their answer has had lasting ramifications on preservation practices as well as debates regarding private versus public interests.
Early preservation battles centered around saving buildings with historic or community significance from being demolished or renovated without thought or intention, while more recently they have focused on protecting character-defining features from additions or modifications that introduce discordant styles or elements into a building.
The National Park Service’s historic preservation programs are guided by federal legislation (United States Code and Public Law), regulations, Presidential executive orders, guidance documents and guidance documents from both branches of government. Furthermore, internal policies and guidelines such as its Standards for Historic Preservation provide guidance for how resources should be treated and managed.
Architecture
Many universities offer programs and courses that focus on historic preservation. These may be targeted toward graduate students as well as undergraduates studying architecture or related studies. High schools can also play an essential role by introducing this concept and teaching students how to look at structures and landscapes with history in mind.
Communities often seek to have buildings, neighborhoods or places designated as historic for many reasons: community pride, tourism and economic development. Either they take on this task themselves or support others who do so.
Professionals from architecture, engineering and construction often lend their services as part of community service projects or just to gain experience – this type of support is instrumental for most preservation efforts to succeed.
Artifacts
Historic sites house an incredible variety of artifacts and collections, ranging from recipes and letters to toys, tools, photographs and much more. Many items in these collections can be delicate and require special handling when being displayed; heat, humidity, sunlight exposure as well as human activities pose risks that expose these treasures to heat, humidity and sunlight as well as environmental conditions like oil transference via sweat and makeup are some of the biggest threats facing these artifacts.
Preserving collections may involve keeping them in climate controlled spaces with constant temperature and humidity levels, or documenting its condition through digital photography.
The Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI) brings together experts from throughout the institution to prepare and respond to disasters affecting heritage. Their experts work to share techniques for stabilizing objects and collections from sites damaged by natural or man-made disasters; additionally they distribute outreach materials that raise awareness about heritage preservation.
Community
Historic preservation requires community involvement at every step. This may take the form of advocacy – persuading policy makers and lawmakers at every level from town boards of health to Congress to support specific historic preservation measures. Governmental programs may include active ownership or operation of historical sites as well as incentives such as tax credits, deductions or abatements as well as support for museums or interpretive displays.
Community volunteers interested in history or architecture may provide invaluable help by conducting research, writing applications, making phone calls or even picking up shovels and hammers to repair buildings. In communities dedicated to preservation, there may also be architects, engineers and attorneys willing to donate their professional skills in exchange for public service work.
Neighborhood or historical preservation groups act as watchdogs for structures of local significance from demolition, neglect and/or insensitive renovations. Signs or plaques on buildings and sites can help educate passersby about their history; dramatizations such as haunted history walks at Halloween; period Thanksgiving/Christmas celebrations or concerts that could have been heard there in years past can bring greater awareness about preserving historic places.
