Montgomery Preservation, Inc.

Montgomery Preservation, Inc.
Name	Montgomery Preservation, Inc.
Type	Nonprofit
Founded	1980
Location	Montgomery, Alabama
Focus	Historic preservation, heritage conservation

Montgomery Preservation, Inc. is a nonprofit historic preservation organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, focused on identifying, documenting, and conserving historic sites, buildings, and cultural landscapes. The organization engages with local institutions, civic leaders, and national agencies to promote conservation of architectural heritage connected to regional history, civil rights, and Southern culture. It operates through project-based preservation, public programming, and advocacy in partnership with government entities and heritage organizations.

History

Montgomery Preservation, Inc. traces its origins to local preservation efforts in the late 20th century influenced by movements associated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Historic American Buildings Survey, and the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Early leaders drew on networks linked to the Alabama Historical Commission, the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, and civic organizations such as the Montgomery County Historical Society and the Alabama Historical Association. The organization’s formative campaigns intersected with preservation efforts at sites associated with the Selma to Montgomery Marches, the Rosa Parks era transit protests, and antebellum architecture documented by scholars from the University of Alabama, Auburn University, and the University of South Alabama. Over time the group collaborated with municipal agencies including the City of Montgomery planning offices, the Alabama Department of Archives and History, and federal partners such as the National Park Service.

Mission and Activities

Its mission centers on safeguarding historic resources linked to the cultural landscapes of Montgomery, Alabama, including residences, churches, commercial districts, and civil rights landmarks. Activities have included landmark designation initiatives with the Montgomery Historic Preservation Commission, survey work modeled after the Historic American Engineering Record, and advocacy campaigns similar to those led by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the AIA Committee on the Environment. The group engages in documentation following standards set by the Secretary of the Interior and collaborates with preservation networks such as the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions and the Association for Preservation Technology International.

Preservation Projects

Notable projects have ranged from restoration of neighborhood districts like those in the vicinity of the Old Cloverdale Historic District to rehabilitation of commercial properties along Dexter Avenue and the Court Street Historic District. Work has involved structures with ties to figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Frederick Douglass-related commemorations, and also focused on architectural types documented in surveys by the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Library of Congress. The organization has executed facade restoration projects similar to initiatives in the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library conservation ethos and partnered on adaptive reuse projects inspired by examples at the Ponce City Market and the High Line revitalization model. Other efforts included stewardship of ecclesiastical architecture comparable to projects at First Baptist Church (Montgomery) and preservation assessments akin to work by the Getty Conservation Institute.

Programs and Education

Educational programming has comprised walking tours paralleling interpretive routes like the National Civil Rights Trail, lecture series with scholars from the Smithsonian Institution, and workshops following curricula developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service Ranger-education programs. Internships and field schools draw students from universities including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Huntingdon College, and the Alabama A&M University, while public workshops reference methodologies from the Society for American Archaeology and the American Institute for Conservation. Outreach includes oral history projects modeled on the Works Progress Administration collections and collaborative exhibits with the Rosa Parks Museum and the Civil Rights Memorial Center.

Organization and Governance

The organization is governed by a volunteer board following governance practices similar to boards of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and regional nonprofits such as the Historic Savannah Foundation. Staff roles include preservation planners, architectural historians, and outreach coordinators who liaise with entities like the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and municipal planning commissions. Advisory committees have included representation from academic partners such as the University of Alabama School of Architecture, heritage professionals from the American Planning Association, and legal counsel versed in statutes like the National Environmental Policy Act where environmental review intersects with preservation.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding streams mirror those of peer preservation groups and include grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, state historic tax credits administered by the Alabama Historical Commission, and private philanthropy from regional foundations such as the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and the Medical Museum Foundation. Partnerships have been sustained with federal programs administered by the National Park Service, municipal departments of planning, and nonprofit partners including the Alabama Humanities Alliance, the Historic House Trust of New York City (for comparative frameworks), and local chambers of commerce.

Impact and Recognition

The organization’s work has contributed to listings on the National Register of Historic Places and to preservation planning referenced in municipal comprehensive plans adopted by the City of Montgomery. Recognition has included awards from regional preservation bodies such as the Alabama Historical Commission awards program and citations comparable to honors bestowed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Institute of Architects state chapters. Its preservation efforts have informed tourism initiatives promoted by the Alabama Tourism Department and interpretive projects on the National Civil Rights Trail, helping shape public understanding of Montgomery’s architectural and cultural legacy.

Category:Historic preservation organizations in the United States Category:Non-profit organizations based in Alabama