Utah Heritage Foundation

The Recent Past Preservation Network (RPPN) is proud to announce its new scholarship for the National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference. This year, in Buffalo, New York.  The Conference Scholarship is open to all active college students who are RPPN members.  Student membership is only $5 and you can join here to be eligible.  The scholarship is designed to give students with an active interest in recent past preservation, and an opportunity to broaden their education by attending the National Trust for Historic Preservation Annual Conference where they will be able to connect with their peers and learn from their predecessors through a variety of educational sessions.

In addition to receiving paid conference registration, the recipient will serve as a liaison for RPPN and will have the opportunity to write a featured article about the Conference for the RPPN Bulletin, our high-quality quarterly magazine, which is read by preservationists throughout the country.

Visit our website for eligibility criteria and to apply.

Historic Yalecrest National Register District Up For $25,000 Prize

With Enough Votes Neighborhood Can Win Money for Education and Marketing

Salt Lake’s Yalecrest neighborhood, with one of the finest collections of Period Revival homes in the state, has an opportunity to win a $25,000 prize from the National Trust for Historic Preservation as part of the annual “This Place Matters” national competition.

For the past twelve years, Save America’s Treasures has been one of the country’s most important and effective historic preservation efforts, bringing hundreds of millions of dollars for restoration to nationally significant historic sites and special collections in all parts of the U.S.  The National Trust is proud of our role in establishing SAT and our subsequent work with three administrations.  We have been pleased to serve as the program’s principal private partner since its inception.   SAT is a program that has demonstrated its value many times over, as a generator of economic activity and as a symbol of our country’s commitment to ensuring that future generations understand the foundations on which our institutions and freedoms rest.

In the current difficult fiscal environment we face as a country, the federal SAT program was not included in the Administration’s FY11 budget request.  Despite strong and consistent support from preservationists, local government officials, historic site administrators, and many others, Congress is not reinstating any programs that the Administration did not include in its 2011 budget.  Likewise, SAT was not a part of the Administration’s FY12 budget request.  At the National Trust, we have had extensive conversations with Congressional leadership on the future of the program.  While many on the Hill remain supportive of the program, given the political landscape and the budget process now in place, it is clear that Congress will not restore the program’s funding in 2012.

With this conclusion, we have made the reluctant decision to close the Save America’s Treasures office at the National Trust.  SAT at the National Trust has been devoted to assisting sites with applications for the SAT program and helping successful applicants raise the required match. It has worked extensively and creatively with the country’s premier historic places and collections to raise public awareness and shine a bright spotlight on the importance of our cultural resources and the need for their conscientious stewardship. Among the more than 1,200 prestigious projects in which SAT at the Trust has played a critical role are: the restoration of the Star Spangled Banner, San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers, Martin Luther King’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, and the Acoma Pueblo. Other beneficiaries have been the homes of such literary icons as Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Louisa May Alcott and Laura Ingalls Wilder. It also is responsible for supporting the restoration of the last architectural model of the World Trade Center and the related exhibits and interpretation. In addition to the model, when the National Memorial Museum at Ground Zero opens on Sept. 11, 2012, the Last Column – the last structural element removed from the site that contains signatures and graffiti from the families, workers and public officials – will have a prominent place thanks to support from SAT.

As solar technology improves and solar panels are become more affordable, energy efficiency and preservation proponents are seeking ways to incorporate solar panels on historic buildings. To assist this effort, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has developed information on alternative energy siting and sample guidelines to address new installations. These guidelines, resources from the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions and the North Carolina Solar Center, as well as best practices from municipalities are now available online.

If you are a homeowner, your simplest, most practical, and least time consuming option would be to consult the   Salt Lake City solar panel guidelines (3.06 Mb) .

There are so many great towns across the state, big and small, that stand out to me for different reasons.  Certainly their distinctive architecture and stories of historical interest lead.  But the variety of local stores, art, and setting within the natural landscape make each one interesting time and time again.

Well, now is a chance to stand out amongst the rest!

Since 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Dozen Distinctive Destination program has recognized cities and towns that offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and revitalization. In each community, residents have joined together and taken action to protect their town’s character.

Written by Ross M. Bradford

19 Rutland Square in Boston’s South End National Register District is the property at issue in Kaufman v. Commissioner. (Photo: Rebecca Williams, NTHP)

Easement-holding organizations along with past and potential donors of easements should take note of the recent tax court case Kaufman v. Commissioner 134 T.C. 9 (2010) because it has the potential to have disastrous consequences for past and future preservation and conservation easement donations. In response to this flawed decision, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed an amicus brief in support of the taxpayer’s motion requesting reconsideration of the court’s ruling.

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There is still time to apply for the

2010 Diversity Scholarship Program APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE!!!

The world is becoming more diverse each passing day, changing the professional atmosphere and shifting the focus of many organizations.

This movement is what led to the creation of the National Trust's Diversity Scholarship Program (DSP).

Since 1992, the DSP has focused on providing financial and educational assistance to approximately 60 individuals each year from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds across the nation.