The National Trust and its Programs

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The National Trust and its Programs
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Developing the National Trust

• According to Charles Hosmer the discussion of a
  National Trust began with the English artist
  Charles Ashbee in 1901. He found instead too many
  local activities there could be no base of
  support for a national organization.
• Why?

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Further discussions

• 1. In 1919 William Sumner Appleton suggested a
  national fund to help save properties and to move
  threatened buildings to outdoor museums.
• 2. During the maneuverings of the Historic Sites
  Act, Charles Merriam of the University of Chicago
  had suggested the English model for a semi-
  private organization for the preservation of
  historic sites and monuments.
• 3. Even administrators in the National Park
  Service saw they could not respond to all the
  problems of historic sites around the country.
• 4. Historic Preservation professionals
  recognized during World War II that the
  prosperity of the postwar era would be
  devastating for preservation unless an
  organization could spearhead to the response.

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Founding the National Trust

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation was
  created as a quasi-private organization on 31
  October 1949.
• Congress created the organization but did not
  fund the operation.
• The National Trust immediately was petitioned to
  purchase numerous buildings around the country,
  or to take over the management of others.
• The National Trust made a policy that
  properties must come to the Trust with endowments
  sufficient, or seemingly sufficient to cover
  their maintenance.

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The effect of NHPA on the National Trust

• Until the passage of the National Historic
  Preservation Act of 1966 the National Trust was a
  small organization that existed on the dues and
  magazine subscriptions of its members.
• Under Title I, Section 101 (d)(2)
• The Secretary shall administer a program of
  matching grants-in-aid to the National Trust for
  Historic Preservation in the United States,
  chartered by Act of Congress approved October 26,
  1949 (63 Stat. 947), for the purposes of carrying
  out the responsibilities of the National Trust.

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What would the National Trust accomplish

• Provide direction, historical training, along
  with administrative expertise to run preservation
  programs.
• 2. The task of the National Trust lay in public
  education.
• 3. The National Trust works with agencies of the
  Federal Government to provide guidance and
  programs of protection for nationally significant
  properties.
• For example Save America's Treasures is a
  public-private partnership between the National
  Park Service and the National Trust for Historic
  Preservation.

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Funding for the Trust

• Funding for the National Trust came through the
  National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
• 1. In 1995 the National Trust saw the
  first funding cuts and in 1998 total federal
  funding was eliminated.
• 2. The National Trust has become more
  entrepreneurial and created fees for services.
• 3. Myrick sees this removal of
  funding as beneficial because it forced the
  organization to become more focused in its
  mission.
• 4. The concept of Partnerships as a
  funding strategy for preservation

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Local Efforts of the National Trust

• A. In 1970 the National Trust filed its first
  amicus brief in court to save historic properties
  through litigation. The Preservation Law Reporter
  has been an important source of information about
  preservation law precedents.
• B. The 1976 Main Street Programs through
  the National Trust have also been important
  sources of expertise and channeled energy towards
  conserving downtown districts.
• C. Barn Again. A national initiative to
  promote adaptive reuse of agricultural buildings.
• D. Endangered Building List. Attempt to
  call attention to historic resources that are
  threatened with demolition or major change.
• E. Houses of Worship. National Trust helps
  identify national trends that impact local
  preservation.
• F. Heritage Tourism. The National Trust
  has been in the forefront of developing ways to
  use tourism to provide economic assistance to
  local preservation.
• F. Neighborhood Schools. National Trust
  sees patterns in local policies that have impact
  on preservation.