National Trust for Historic Preservation (United States)
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| National Trust for Historic Preservation (United States) | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Trust for Historic Preservation (United States) |
| Founded | 1949 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Mission | Preserving historic places in the United States |
| Leader title | President and CEO |
National Trust for Historic Preservation (United States) is a private nonprofit organization dedicated to saving, preserving, and revitalizing historic places across the United States. Founded in 1949, the organization operates programs, manages historic sites, advocates for preservation policy, and supports local preservation groups, collaborating with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, National Park Service, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and state historic preservation offices. Its work intersects with landmark sites and figures including Monticello, Mount Vernon, Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and communities from Charleston, South Carolina to San Francisco.
History
The organization was established in 1949 during the postwar era alongside entities like the American Antiquarian Society, Historic Charleston Foundation, and the Garden Club of America to respond to threats to places such as Pennsylvania Station (1910) and Johnstown Flood National Memorial. Early board members and allies included figures connected to Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., Ansel Adams, and preservationists associated with Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon Ladies' Association. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the Trust worked on initiatives linked to the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the creation of the National Register of Historic Places, and collaborations with the National Trust for Historic Preservation (United Kingdom) and the World Monuments Fund. In subsequent decades the organization engaged in projects related to Little Rock Central High School, Ellis Island, Alamo (mission), and urban revitalization efforts in Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Los Angeles.
Mission and Programs
The Trust’s stated mission aligns with preservation principles championed by figures such as John Muir, Jane Jacobs, Maya Lin, and organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services. Programs include the Historic Sites program managing properties associated with Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Langston Hughes; the Main Street America initiative tied to National Main Streets Center strategies used in Savannah, Georgia, Asheville, North Carolina, and Galena, Illinois; stewardship training in partnership with the Getty Conservation Institute and Association for Preservation Technology International; disaster response coordination with FEMA and the American Red Cross; and heritage tourism efforts connected to National Trust Historic Hotels listings and collaborations with United States Tour Operators Association.
National Historic Landmarks and Preservation Projects
The Trust advocates for and partners on projects involving National Historic Landmarks, sites on the National Register of Historic Places, and endangered properties like Pennsylvania Station (1910), Pruitt–Igoe, Tremé, Route 66, and the Jackson Ward Historic District. It has intervened in preservation at Guardian Building, Union Station (Los Angeles), Macon (Georgia) landmarks, and rural sites like Haleakalā National Park adjacent cultural landscapes. Joint efforts have included partnerships with National Trust for Historic Preservation (United Kingdom), Historic New England, Preservation Texas, Daughters of the American Revolution, and tribal partners such as the Navajo Nation and Cherokee Nation to address sites ranging from Taos Pueblo to Montpelier (James Madison's estate).
Advocacy and Policy Influence
The Trust engages in federal and state advocacy concerning the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, tax incentives like the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives program, and funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. It has lobbied Congress members from delegations such as those of California, New York (state), and Texas and worked with administrations including those of Harry S. Truman, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama on preservation priorities. The Trust files amicus briefs in cases before the United States Supreme Court and courts of appeals, coordinates with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and partners with NGOs such as the Sierra Club, Audubon Society, and National Parks Conservation Association on overlapping policy issues.
Funding and Membership
Revenue streams include membership dues, donations from foundations like the Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Kresge Foundation, grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities, corporate sponsorships from entities in the hospitality and real estate sectors, and income from site admissions and events at properties connected to Monticello, Drayton Hall, Cedar Grove Plantation, and other holdings. Membership categories mirror models used by Smithsonian Institution and Metropolitan Museum of Art, with donor circles named for benefactors similar to those associated with Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Organizational Structure and Leadership
The Trust’s governance includes a board of trustees with leaders drawn from institutions including Princeton University, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, and corporations connected to National Geographic Society, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. Executives have historically intersected with officials from the National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and state historic preservation offices, as well as leaders such as preservation activists affiliated with Historic New England, Preservation League of New York State, and Detroit Historical Society. Regional offices collaborate with preservation nonprofits like Historic Charleston Foundation, Historic Savannah Foundation, and municipal preservation commissions in cities such as Chicago, Seattle, and Denver.
Criticism and Controversies
The Trust has faced criticism over decisions involving commercialization of sites, property sales, and interpretation practices, drawing scrutiny from local groups including Preserve South Street Seaport, Friends of St. Augustine, and scholars at College of William & Mary, University of Virginia, and Rutgers University. Controversies have involved debates over stewardship at properties resembling disputes around Montpelier and Thomas Jefferson-related sites, tensions with tribal nations like Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and Pueblo of Acoma over cultural resource management, financial transparency questions raised by watchdogs such as Charity Navigator and GuideStar, and contested preservation outcomes similar to those debated in cases involving Pennsylvania Station (1910) and Pruitt–Igoe.