For Immediate Release - May 06, 2016

DCR Celebrates National Preservation Month throughout the Month of May Events Scheduled to Honor 50 Years of the National Register of Historic Places

Boston- Thursday, May 5, 2016- With the Month of May designated as National Preservation Month, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will showcase cultural sites throughout the state parks system listed on the National Register of Historic Places. DCR’s Walden Pond State Reservation in Concord and Cole’s Hill located at Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth were among the first Massachusetts properties included on the National Register when it was created on October 15, 1966.

“It is incredibly important that as a state, we continue to work together to preserve and protect the Commonwealth’s historic buildings, sites, and landscapes,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “National Preservation Month serves as a perfect opportunity for us all to get out and explore some of Massachusetts most extraordinary landmarks.”

During the month of May, visitors can take part in individual programs or visit one of DCR’s 100+ National Register listed properties across the state. Guests can walk in the footsteps of Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond, step back in time to an 18th century mill village at Moore State Park, or tour the recreational landscape and camp built by the Civilian Conservation Corps at Upton State Forest. Special “Doors Open” events will give the public access to properties usually limited from public view, including farmhouses and lodges rehabilitated under DCR’s Historic Curatorship Program.

“For years Massachusetts has been protecting historic, cultural sites to not only preserve important landmarks, but the very history that makes this state and nation so great,” said Lieutenant Governor Kayrn Polito. “By honoring the National Register of Historic Places during National Preservation Month, we as a Commonwealth are demonstrating our shared philosophy to preserve these locations for generations to benefit from.”

The National Register is more than a list – it is part of the most far-reaching historic preservation legislation ever created in the United States, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. After years of public policies to expand interstate highways and rid communities of “blight” through urban renewal, Americans were seeing the rapid loss of their cultural and architectural heritage, neighborhood identities, and quality of life. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 created mechanisms for controlling impacts of federal projects on historic properties, including the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official list of properties worthy of preservation. Massachusetts has 4,200 properties on the National Register, second only to New York.

“The Baker-Polito Administration has remained steadfast in its commitment to protecting historic places and ensuring the public receives a high level of access to recreational and cultural resources within our state parks system.” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Preservation Month program gives everyone the opportunity to experience history in spectacular natural settings.”

As the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, the DCR invites the public to visit the National Register properties within state parks across the state. The agency is steward to over 100 National Register properties and 12 National Historic Landmarks.

“The Commonwealth’s state parks system is one of the oldest in the nation, and preservation has been at the heart of the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s mission from the beginning,” said DCR Commissioner Leo Roy.“Preservation Month is a great time to explore parks in a new way, visiting the historic buildings, sites and landscapes that reflect our shared heritage.”

The DCR protects thousands of years of history within the state’s parks system throughout Massachusetts. From Native American sites to designed gardens, DCR’s historic properties exhibit centuries of human ingenuity in adapting the land for everyday life. Preservation Month is a time to acknowledge the Commonwealth’s shared history and to celebrate DCR’s work to preserve the past, such as the restoration project of the Cole’s Hill Sarcophagus located at Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The Sarcophagus was erected in 1920-1921 by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants to house the remains of members of the early Plymouth settlement. The Society has now partnered with DCR for its conservation, including the replacement of bronze letters, the cleaning of existing letters and granite, and the repointing of mortar joints.

Each year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation promotes May as Preservation Month to raise awareness regarding the enormous impact historic preservation has in protecting and enhancing neighborhoods and communities across the country. For more information regarding DCR’s Preservation Month program, including locations and events, please visit the agency’s webpage. Share your Preservation Month experiences on social media: @MassDCR #DCRpresmo #preservationmonth #ThisPlaceMatters.

* DCR Commissioner Leo Roy (right) joins with Executive Director of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants Walter Powell (center), and Rhode Island Governor of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants Skip Taylor (left) at the Cole’s Hill Sarcophagus in Plymouth

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The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), an agency of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, oversees 450,000 acres of parks and forests, beaches, bike trails, watersheds, dams, and parkways. Led by Commissioner Leo Roy, the agency’s mission is to protect, promote, and enhance our common wealth of natural, cultural, and recreational resources. To learn more about DCR, our facilities, and our programs, please visitwww.mass.gov/dcr. Contact us at [email protected]. Follow DCR on Twitter...... www.twitter.com/MassDCR

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