National Treasures. PHOTO by DUNCAN KENDALL

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 | VOL. 29 NO. 2

Strategies for Saving National Treasures ForumJournal Contents NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION WINTER 2015 | VOL. 29 NO. 2 STEPHANIE K. MEEKS President Introduction to Forum Journal— DAVID J. BROWN Executive Vice President Strategies to Save National Treasures and Chief Preservation Officer DAVID J. BROWN ...... 3 TABITHA ALMQUIST Chief of Staff The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and ROBERT BULL Chief Development Officer Historic Preservation: National Implications PAUL EDMONDSON WILL COOK AND JENNIFER SANDY ...... 8 Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel Artist Residencies at Historic Sites: MICHAEL L. FORSTER Chief Financial and Exploring a New Role for Pond Farm Administrative Officer CAITLIN STROKOSCH ...... 19 AMY MANIATIS Chief Marketing Officer Advocacy Lessons from the Campaign to Save Prentice PRESERVATION LEADERSHIP FORUM ELIZABETH BYRD WOOD ...... 29 SUSAN WEST MONTGOMERY Engaging Diverse Communities Senior Director, Preservation Resources in Our National Treasures Work RHONDA SINCAVAGE TANYA BOWERS ...... 39 Director, Publications and Programs Federal Designation as a Preservation Tool: ELIZABETH BYRD WOOD Senior Content Manager Benefits and Challenges KERRI RUBMAN DENISE RYAN ...... 49 Assistant Editor MARY BUTLER Creative Director MEAGAN LILLY Graphic Designer

COVER: Volunteers participate in a clean-up day at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey. Hinchliffe Stadium is one of the National Trust’s National Treasures. PHOTO BY DUNCAN KENDALL

Forum Journal, a Journal of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, (ISSN 1536-1012) is published quarterly by the Preservation Resources Department at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2600 Virginia Avenue, N.W., Suite 1000, Washington, D.C. 20037 as a benefit of National Trust The National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America’s historic places for Forum membership. Forum members also receive four issues of Preservation magazine. Annual the next generation. We take direct, on- dues are $195. Send email address changes to [email protected]. Copyright ©2015 the-ground action when historic buildings National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States. Of the total amount of base dues, and sites are threatened. Our work helps $6.00 is for a subscription for Preservation magazine for one year. Support for the National Trust is build vibrant, sustainable communities. We provided by membership dues; endowment funds; individual, corporate, and foundation contribu- advocate with governments to save Amer- tions; and grants from state and federal agencies. National Trust is a forum in which ica’s heritage. We strive to create a cultural Forum Journal legacy that is as diverse as the nation itself to express opinions, encourage debate, and convey information of importance and of general inter- so that all of us can take pride in our part est to Forum members of the National Trust. Inclusion of material or product references does not of the American story. constitute an endorsement by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Strategies to Save National Treasures

DAVID J. BROWN

ational Treasures. From a preservation perspective, the name quickly brings up images of iconic homes of presidents and Nbusiness titans, the hallowed ground of battlefields, and elegant established neighborhoods from Charleston to San Francisco. But what if America’s National Treasures also brought to mind the badly deteriorated studio of an internationally acclaimed potter, who moved to California to escape the madness of 1930s Europe? Or a small village that lays claim as the country’s most successful utopian community, but now faces threats from a weak- ened levee system? Or the last known Spanish-period waterworks remaining on American soil, threatened by a decades-old plan that would obliterate the historic landscape? Or a deteriorated baseball stadium that once hosted the greats of Negro League baseball. Four years ago, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation refocused in order to expand the scale and implications of its work, the National Treasures program was at the heart of a new strategic plan entitled Preservation10X. The plan was framed as a way to increase our work and influence by a factor of ten. The National Treasures portfolio was developed to guide the Trust in engagement at places that tell the broad story of America. The work has been focused where the preservation implications are national in scope, the threats are critical, and the National Trust can make a unique contribution to the preservation solution. The Trust built its portfolio beginning with places where it was already engaged, such as Charleston, Chimney Rock and the White Grass Dude Ranch in Grand Teton. Soon, however, the Trust staff reached out to partners and others to identify a broader collection of places that allowed us to focus on the national implications of preservation and tell a more diverse American story. Four years later, we have a revolving portfolio of more than 50 National Treasure sites that are the focus of National Trust advocacy campaigns. This issue of Forum Journal examines how

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 3 Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom is an example of the National Trust’s outreach to new communities and preservation allies. This recently named National Treasure was the center of Richmond’s slave trade, which played a pivotal role during the peak years of the nation’s interstate slave trade. Much of Shockoe Bottom has been razed and paved over, nearly forgotten by mainstream historians. Nevertheless, for many descendants of the enslaved, Shockoe Bottom remains sacred ground associated with suffering, injustice and resistance to slavery. PHOTO BY DAVID HERRING

the National Trust and a variety of partners have saved—and yes, occasionally failed to save—America’s National Treasures. Guided by more than 60 years of experience, we are taking direct action to protect these places and promote their history and significance, while collaborating with local preservationists to help advance the cause of preservation nationally. In this issue of Forum Journal, our authors identify strategies that have helped save these places that help define us as Americans. National Treasures represent the diversity of our nation’s built history and remind all of us of the importance of preserving the irreplaceable places that tell America’s stories. From historic buildings to cultural landscapes, National Trust National Treasures are unique, movement-defining places of action—some of them iconic, others less familiar—that will galvanize support and spark greater public understanding of how preservation contributes to vibrant communities. Pond Farm is one such National Treasure. A modest property in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, Pond Farm was the home and studio of a nationally prominent ceramicist, Marguerite Wilden- hain, who moved to America to escape Nazi persecution. Since Marguerite’s death in 1985, her home and barn have been unoccu- pied, and the elements and lack of routine maintenance have taken their toll. Pond Farm is located in Austin Creek State Recreation Area, and the ongoing funding crisis for California State Parks

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 4 continues to pose a direct threat to Pond Farm’s survival. Across the country, similar places that tell the stories of endurance and triumph are struggling for survival as government funding for preservation evaporates. Several National Treasure campaigns are designed to explore new partnerships and alternative uses for these threatened places, such as the artist residency program envisioned at Pond Farm. Caitlin Strokosch, executive director of the Alliance of Artists Communities, explores how arts and artist residency programs can offer a path forward in re-envisioning historic sites such as Pond Farm. While federal protections for preservation have been in place for almost 50 years, many government agencies continue to avoid or dismiss their responsibilities, citing lack of funds and conflicting priorities. In the past, the National Trust and our partners have won an impressive number of court cases in support of these laws, but the fundamental behavior at the federal agencies has often not changed. As Jennifer Sandy, senior field officer in our Chicago Field Office, and Will Cook in the National Trust’s legal office outline in their article, the Trust is now exploring ways to coordinate our advocacy with agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in order to push for systemic and long-term changes in behavior. Our National Treasures portfolio contains five examples of irreplaceable buildings, landscapes, engineering works, and communities where U.S. Army Corps involvement is critical and where protection of historic resources should be a key component for the future. Early in the life of the National Treasures program we engaged at one Corps project at the Village of Zoar in Ohio. This remarkable historic village, founded in 1817, was threatened by the possible removal of a 1930s levee, which protected the village from flooding. Fortunately, the National Treasures campaign led the Corps to take that option off the table. But it will be important to consider those successful strategies at Zoar and apply them across the agency. The Trust and its partners will have that opportunity at one of the most recently named National Treasures, the Antiguo Acueducto del Rio Piedras.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 5 The Antiguo Acueducto just outside of San Juan, Puerto Rico, is threatened by flood control measures that would destroy this National Register-listed site and its surrounding ecosystem. The National Trust is working with its partners to ensure that the Army Corps complies with federal regulations and reconsiders its current project design. PHOTO COURTESY PARA LA NATURALEZA Situated on a verdant and unique riverfront tract in metropolitan San Juan, the Antiguo Acueducto contains a small low-water dam, a valve house, six sedimentation and filtration tanks, an engine room, and employee housing. Proposed flood control measures by the Army Corps would destroy not only this National Register-listed resource, but the Río Piedras’ last remaining natural meander and its associated ecosystem. These two treasure campaigns are key elements of our work to ensure the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers complies not only with the letter, but with the spirit, of the federal preservation regulations protecting America’s historic buildings, landscapes, and neighborhoods. National Treasures represent places that are important for telling America’s full story, including the contributions many diverse communities. One such place is Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, one of the few remaining stadiums in the country associated with Negro League baseball, but now vacant and deteriorating. We have worked to save this place through a strategy of attracting new audiences. Through the National Trust’s HOPE Crew program (Hands On Preservation Experience), we engaged more than 700 individuals— many new to preservation—in the work to stabilize and eventually save Hinchliffe. This is just one of the examples Tanya Bowers, the Trust’s director for diversity, presents to describe how diverse communities are being attracted to preservation advocacy. As mentioned before, not all National Treasures campaigns will lead to preservation successes. The advocacy campaign to prevent the demolition of Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, a striking Mid-Century Modern building designed by the important architect

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 6 Bertrand Goldberg, ultimately failed. But, as author Elizabeth Byrd Wood, National Trust senior content manager, points out, preservation advocates built a powerful coalition and learned from public relations professionals how to use social media effectively—positive experiences we can draw on to guide future preservation advocacy. Federal designation is one strategy that the National Trust is using to help protect National Treasures. We are currently working with the Departments of Energy and Interior, Congress and local officials to establish the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The three primary sites of the Manhattan Project—Los Alamos, New Mexico, Hanford, Washington, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, were central to the mission of the Manhattan Project and have been selected by the National Park Service as sites that would comprise the proposed Manhattan Project National Historical Park. But designating a site as a National Historic Park is just one of several federal designations in the preservationist’s tool box. In her article, Denise Ryan, director for Public Lands Policy at the National Trust, explains the benefits of each type of designation, as well as the challenges of each. Our National Treasures work would not be possible without support from our members and donors. Chief among this group is American Express, which serves as the presenting partner of National Treasures and is deeply involved in a number of our campaigns. We value its support but more importantly we depend upon this partnership to expand the work of preservation. These National Treasures—and the others highlighted in this issue of Forum Journal or discussed on our campaign website www.SavingPlaces.org—were carefully chosen so that the National Trust could engage deeply with partners to save these special places and take the lessons learned and apply them in providing case studies, shaping new policies, and building new allies for preservation. This issue of Forum Journal is just one part of a wider effort to share such information with those of you who seek to save places that matter in your community. FJ

DAVID J. BROWN is the executive vice president and chief preservation officer at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 7 Collaborating with the Army Corps to Protect the Village of Zoar

WILL COOK AND JENNIFER SANDY

istoric preservationists and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may seem like unlikely allies, but they often find themselves in Hclose association nonetheless. Here we explore a successful collaboration between preservation advocates and the Army Corps— one of the most influential agencies in implementing the federal government’s stewardship responsibilities for cultural resources.

ABOUT THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Historic Beginnings. Today’s Army Corps has a deep and significant history in the development of the United States. Its roots date back to June 16, 1775, when the Continental Congress organized an army that included one chief engineer and two assistants. This early “ancestor” group grew under Gen. George Washington and is credited with building the Revolutionary War fortifications at Bunker Hill near Boston.1 The Army Corps as we know it today owes its creation to President Thomas Jefferson, who established its headquarters and training facilities at West Point. During the Civil War the Corps built forts, trenches, bridges, batteries and transportation mechanisms— all of which aided the Union Army’s victory. During World War II, the Corps assisted U.S. interests overseas by building bridges and maintaining roads needed for troops to advance into Germany. At home, the Corps constructed the numerous buildings and structures of the three Manhattan Project sites, now listed together in the National Register of Historic Places and one of the National Trust’s National Treasures.2 Expanding Role. By the outset of World War II, the Corps was well on its way to being a leader in constructing and managing hydroelectric power. After World War II, the work of the Army Corps included expanded efforts in civil activities—surveying road and canal routes, dredging sandbars in the Ohio and Mississippi

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 8 (Left) Mayor Larry Bell welcomes attendees at the Zoar Garden for the June 2012 announcement of Zoar’s inclusion in the list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. PHOTO COURTESY HERITAGE OHIO (Right) Preservation partners gather at a Section 106 meeting in November 2012, including the Army Corps, Village of Zoar, Zoar Community Association, Ohio History Connection, Heritage Ohio, Ohio and Erie Canalway coalition, Governor Kasick’s office, and the National Trust. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION rivers, building coastal fortifications, and charting navigational routes. It eventually became the nation’s federal flood control agency. It also became the nation’s leading provider of hydroelectric power and recreation areas, assumed added responsibilities for natural disaster response, and, in the 1960s, took on a leading role in preserving and restoring natural areas. Current Structure and Organization. Today, the Army Corps employs more than 36,500 civilian employees and military person- nel. With a staff of this size, it has become one of the largest public engineering, design and construction agencies in the world. Conse- quently, understanding how the Corps works is no easy task. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, at the Pentagon, the Corps’ national headquarters office is responsible for overall policy and plans for all Corps initiatives, including civil works, military readi- ness for the Army and Air Force, worldwide contingency operations, and the global war on terrorism. The Chief of Engineers—the head official of the Corps—is supported by three deputies. They are further supported by one director who leads Military Programs and another director who leads Civil Works. The Corps is further divided geographically into nine divisions.

THE ARMY CORPS AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION For many preservationists, the Army Corps’ connection to historic preservation is not immediately apparent. With a stated mission to

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 9 Banners, signs and brochures placed around the community alerted visitors to the threat posed by potential removal of the levee and provided information about how to show support for saving Zoar.

“[d]eliver vital public and military engineering services; partnering in peace and war to strengthen our Nation’s security, energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters,” it would seem that the Army Corps’ work is limited to military-type engineering projects. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Corps has the largest workforce in the federal government with more than 200 specialists in a broad range of disciplines, including a Center of Expertise in Historic Structures and Buildings, which oversees— among other preservation activities—historic building and structure evaluation and rehabilitation, National Register nominations, and liaison assistance between the Advisory Council on Historic Preser- vation, the National Park Service, other preservation organizations, and state and local governments. The work at Zoar brought us in contact with the Corps’ Civil Works Program, which includes its own work in infrastructure development, such as planning, designing, building, and operating locks and dams; dredging waterways for navigation; developing flood protection systems; and managing the design and construction of military installations. It is important for preservationists to understand that the Corps also has responsibility for environmental regulation and ecosystem restoration. Today, under the authority provided by Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the Corps evaluates permit applica- tions for essentially all construction activities that occur in or over the nation’s waters, including wetlands.These activities are over- seen by the Regulatory (Permitting) Division of the Corps, which has issued a set of separate regulations relating to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.3

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 10 The gardener’s residence and greenhouse keep watch over Zoar’s central garden, which had a biblically-inspired design. PHOTO BY ANDY DONALDSON

Given the broad array of activities that fall under the Army Corps’ purview, preservationists often find themselves working with the Corps on issues that affect historic resources in their communities. The project at Zoar was one such example where positive collaboration between a broad array of preservation interests and the Army Corps’ Civil Works Division, led to a successful outcome and a model strategy for other communities.

VILLAGE OF ZOAR The Village of Zoar in northeast Ohio was founded in 1817 by a group of religious separatists fleeing persecution in their native Germany. The community they created remains a “place of refuge” from the modern world today, where the nearly 50 historic buildings and a central garden impart a feeling of having traveled back in time. Zoar has attracted tourists and admirers since its founding. In addition to the log, brick, and frame houses, work places, and community buildings created for village residents, the Zoarites also constructed a hotel and store to cater to visitors. The town prospered throughout the 1800s by adopting a communal system of living and become known for its industries and crafts. After the communal society was dissolved in 1898, many separatist families continued to live in the area. In 1941 and 1942 the State of Ohio, at the urging of the community and the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society (now the Ohio History Connection), acquired three key properties in the village as the nucleus of Zoar Village Historic Site. Today the historic site comprises 13 major buildings. In the late 1990s the Zoar Community Association established the Village Hall Museum and today manages the historic site on behalf of the Ohio

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 11 The Number One house in Zoar, one of the most architecturally significant buildings in the village, was built in 1833 as a residence for the elderly. It became Zoar spiritual leader Joseph Bimeler’s residence when the older Separatists insisted on remaining with their families. PHOTO BY ANDY DONALDSON

History Connection. In addition to the museum buildings that are now open to the public, the Village of Zoar is home to 195 residents and a number of shops and other small businesses. Threat. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recognized Zoar’s historic importance as early as the 1930s when it was constructing flood risk management projects up and down the Muskingum watershed. While other communities were evacuated to allow for the storage of flood waters upstream of the dams, the Corps built a levee to protect the Village of Zoar, primarily because of the town’s historic significance. But record flooding in 2005 and 2008 raised concern about the integrity of the Zoar levee. In 2011 the Corps began a Dam Safety Modification Study to assess the levee’s future, and one of several alternatives under consideration was removing the levee entirely. Removing the levee might have required pur- chasing, relocating or demolishing 80 percent of the Village of Zoar. After the Ohio History Connection alerted the National Trust’s Chicago Field Office of this threat, the National Trust placed the community on its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in June 2012, and added the Village of Zoar to its National Treasure portfolio. The National Trust’s multilayered strategy involved a variety of efforts across several fronts to ensure the Village of Zoar’s protection. Village of Zoar’s protection, including compliance with the letter and spirit of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the primary federal law governing the preservation of historic resources in the United States. A key component of Section 106 is the requirement that federal agencies take into account the effect of their undertakings on properties listed in or determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Section 106 also

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 12 provides that if adverse effects on historic properties are identified, then federal agencies must work with consulting parties to seek ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate harm. The procedures outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations at 36 C.F.R. Part 800 define how federal agencies meet their Section 106 statutory responsibilities. Collaboration. Collaboration was key to its strategy, and the National Trust joined with a variety of strong partners in this effort, including the mayor of Zoar, the Zoar Community Association (ZCA), the Ohio History Connection, the state historic preservation office, Heritage Ohio, and others that had been working together since the announcement of the Corps study. From the outset, it was a priority of the coalition to form positive working relationships with the Army Corps staff assigned to this project, believing that collaboration was preferable to an adversarial approach. The Army Corps staff from the Huntington District were excellent partners, providing regular updates and holding frequent community meetings in Zoar to ensure strong community involvement. The National Trust also developed a positive working relationship with the Army Corps’ Federal Preservation Officer, establishing quarterly “Situation Report” phone calls to share updates and ideas. Many of these stakeholders were also active participants in consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and were engaged early and often by the Army Corps, consistent with Section 106’s mandate that consultation should commence at the earliest stages of project planning so that a broad range of alternatives may be considered during the planning process for the undertaking, The extensive consultation process included several multi-day charrettes to help identify potential impacts to historic properties and to develop a Programmatic Agreement that will ultimately guide implementation of the Corps’ final selected alternative. The state historic preservation office was a particularly strong and effective advocate on behalf of the Village’s historic buildings and landscapes, spending considerable time reviewing the Corps’ baseline studies and proposed alternatives. Building Awareness. A second critical component of the National Treasure strategy was to raise awareness about the threat to the Village of Zoar and to encourage people to take action on

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 13 The National Trust and its partners distributed preaddressed postcards at the community’s Harvest Festival for attendees to sign and send to the Army Corps to indicate their support for the community. behalf of the community. Zoar’s inclusion on the National Trust’s 2012 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places was an excellent fi rst step, garnering coverage in more than 20 different media outlets nationally. The National Trust also created an online form that people could use to contact the Corps to express support for saving the town. The Trust included a link to this in all related web and social media postings, as did the many partners in the effort. In advance of the community’s popular Harvest Festival, the National Trust and its partners worked together to develop and print thousands of pre-addressed postcards for attendees to sign and send to the Army Corps, conveying their support for saving Zoar. All of these public comments were included as part of the offi cial record as required by Army Corps’ compliance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations and were key to advocating for a levee repair alternative that did not threaten Zoar’s historic integrity. Ultimately, the Corps has received more than 2,000 postcards in support of saving Zoar. Lastly, the National Trust awarded a Preservation Fund grant to the Zoar Community Association, allowing it to hire a marketing professional to complete an Outreach Plan to further promote Zoar throughout Ohio. The Outreach Plan helped ZCA engage with new visitors, expand its marketing and social media capabilities, increase visitation, and add new donors, supporters and volunteers. Engaging Elected Ofﬁ cials and Corps Leadership. The third component of the National Trust’s strategy, in coalition with our partners, was focused on outreach to elected offi cials and Army Corps leadership, to ensure that all decisionmakers were fully aware of Zoar’s tremendous historic signifi cance. Upon learning of the threat, the mayor of Zoar and the Tuscarawas County Commis- sioners quickly reached out to their U.S. Representative, Bob Gibbs, to alert him to the situation. Fortunately for the Village of Zoar,

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 14 Rep. Gibbs chairs the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, a subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastruc- ture Committee, which has congressional jurisdiction over the Army Corps of Engineers. Rep. Gibbs strongly supported protecting the Village of Zoar throughout the multiyear Army Corps study process, and invited the Chief of Engineers, Lieutenant General Bostick, to Zoar in the fall of 2013. National Trust Chief Preservation Officer David Brown joined Lieutenant General Bostick, Congressman Gibbs, and other high-ranking officials for a luncheon and tour of the Zoar levee. Trust staff was also on hand when the Army Corps Federal Preser- vation Officer made a trip to Zoar in 2013. The coalition also worked to engage Ohio’s senators in the effort to save Zoar, and in 2012, Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman introduced bipartisan legislation that would have required the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to preserve Zoar’s historic integrity as it studied ways to manage the aging levee. National Trust staff had an early opportunity to provide input on the legislation. National Trust government affairs staff met regularly with staff from both senators’ offices and with Congressman Gibbs throughout the campaign to keep them apprised of their efforts. While the legislation did not ultimately advance, it sent a powerful message to the Army Corps that Ohio’s congressional delegation valued the Village of Zoar and wanted to see thoughtful solutions for saving the community. A Successful Outcome. Less than three years after the Village of Zoar’s inclusion in the National Treasure portfolio, the community’s future looks far more promising. In November 2013, the Army Corps announced that elimination of the levee was no longer under consideration, effectively removing the greatest threat to the Village of Zoar. The unexpected and very welcome news came after months of study by the Army Corps, and reflected the Corps’ appreciation of Zoar’s historic and cultural importance. It received more than 3,000 comments in support of saving Zoar from people across the country and the world. The Corps also completed exhaustive engineering studies of the levee and determined that it is no longer likely to fail under normal operating conditions, partly due to interim risk reduction measures taken since 2008.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 15 The Zoar Hotel recently received a National Trust Preservation Fund grant for a feasibility study to determine the best reuse of the building, which has been vacant for many years. With the threat of flooding no longer imminent, the Ohio History Connection and the Village can move forward with seeking new uses for this important community building. PHOTO BY ANDY DONALDSON

At a public meeting in April 2014, representatives from the Army Corps first shared their “Tentatively Selected Plan” for repairing Zoar levee with the public. The plan would not require demolition of any historic structures and is the least costly of the final array of options. The Corps is proposing to install below-ground engineering features designed to reduce the potential for erosion of the Zoar levee foundation and to improve stability of the structure. When modifications are completed, the construction areas would be graded and seeded to blend in with the untouched levee areas. The Corps is on track to finish its Dam Safety Modification Study by the spring of 2015, and the Village of Zoar is planning a huge celebration. Much additional work remains to be done—including continuing consultation under Section 106 to ensure that effects to historic properties are considered, and securing federal funding to implement the study’s recommendations. But long-term management of the levee and effective planning for the preservation of Zoar will benefit tremendously from the data compiled, reviewed, and integrated into the state historic preservation office’s inventories during the Section 106 review process. Thanks to a truly collaborative process and a coordinated partnership effort, the Village of Zoar will celebrate its bicentennial in 2017 and will continue to inspire residents and visitors well into the future.

LESSONS LEARNED The work on the Village of Zoar National Treasure campaign has illuminated several strategies for success when working with the Army Corps on preservation issues.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 16 Participate in Regulatory Compliance and Build Relationships. In many ways, the Section 106 consultation at the Village of Zoar is a model for how this process should work. The federal agency went above and beyond in identifying potential consulting parties, engaging the public on a very regular basis, and keeping lines of communication open. Huntington District staff was willing to work with consulting parties to explain and integrate Army Corps pro- cesses into Section 106 compliance, including creating a detailed timeline combining project deadlines and 106 compliance steps, and a “Risk Register” document created by the team to thought- fully consider all possible impacts of the various levee repair alternatives on the historic community. The relationships developed during consultation were key to the success of the project, from the frontline staff in Dover, Ohio, through the Corps’ district office in Huntington, and up the chain of command to the Federal Preservation Officer (FPO) in Washington D.C. The quarterly “Situation Report” phone meetings with the FPO and the Huntington District staff provided a regular opportunity for the National Trust and the Corps to keep each other up to date on activities and answer any questions about the process. The Trust has now been able to engage the FPO on another National Trea- sure project and hopes to continue to develop this productive working relationship going forward. Seek Political Support. The success at the Village of Zoar illustrates the value of having political support in Congress when dealing with a particularly controversial Army Corps project. Of course, not every project will be in the district of a Member of Congress with influence over the workings of the Army Corps, but outreach to elected officials to educate them about the issue and seek their support can be a very powerful strategy. So-called “messaging bills” like the Village of Zoar legislation may not be likely to pass, but they can send a strong statement to Army Corps leadership regarding the importance of the issue. Having champions in Congress, and of course at the local and state level, can have a significant effect on the success of a project. Raise Awareness and Involve the Public. At every stage of the process, the Army Corps strove to facilitate an honest and open

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 17 dialogue with the public about the situation the Village of Zoar was facing. Its regular community meetings and frequent communication with village leadership and coalition partners ensured that all parties felt up to date and contributed to the success of the process. The National Trust and coalition partners also worked hard to ensure constant communication between all involved organizations and individuals. The uncertainty of Zoar’s future was a heavy bur- den for community members to bear over several years throughout this process, but they never tired in their efforts to spread the word about the importance of saving their village. The work of all the partners to raise awareness about the threat to Zoar had a silver lining, as tourist interest and visitation has been on the rise over the past several years. Increased awareness about Zoar not only benefits the community through increased tourism, it had a direct impact on the Army Corps’ ultimate decision to repair Zoar levee.

CONCLUSION Although preservationists can sometimes find themselves facing off with the Army Corps over issues related to the protection of historic resources, the Village of Zoar provides an example of a mutually beneficial outcome resulting from proactive collaboration between the federal agency and local, state, and national preservation advocates. The lessons that can be drawn from this experience can be of value to communities across the country as the need for repair or replacement of flood control infrastructure continues to increase.FJ

JENNIFER SANDY is the senior field officer in the National Trust’s Chicago Field Office and WILL COOK is an associate general counsel in the National Trust’s legal office.

1 There is a comprehensive volume published by the USACE Office of History titledThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: A History (2007). 2 The Manhattan Project gets its name from the U.S. Army Engineer District located in Manhattan (270 Broadway in New York City). In addition, the secret bomb project was managed by Engineer Officer, then-Major General Leslie Richard Groves. 3 These regulations, 33 C.F.R. Part 325, are the subject of much controversy and litigation, but the regulations are not followed by the Civil Works Division and are not the focus of this article.

SLIDESHOW Click here to see a slide show of other National Treasures that involve the Army Corps.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 18 Artist Residencies at Historic Sites: Exploring a New Role for Pond Farm

CAITLIN STROKOSCH

ond Farm, founded in Guerneville, California, in the 1930s by Gordon and Jane Herr, was originally conceived as an artist Pcolony with a faculty composed primarily of artisans forced to flee Nazi Europe. Envisioned by Gordon Herr as a “sustainable sanctuary for artists away from a world gone amuck,” Pond Farm evolved into the Pond Farm Pottery school of ceramic arts under the leadership of Marguerite Wildenhain, an internationally renowned female pioneer in ceramics and ceramics education and a central figure in the studio pottery movement and the emergence of ceramics as an important art form. Wildenhain, an early Bauhaus graduate and Germany’s first female “Master Potter,” was forced to leave her teaching post because of her Jewish ancestry when the National Socialists came to power in 1933. After initially immigrating to the Netherlands, she was forced to once more flee the Nazis in 1940, eventually making her way to Pond Farm in 1942. The site—including a 19th-century livestock barn converted into a ceramics studio and showroom, Marguerite’s modest home, a guest cottage, and cultivated landscape—served for half a century as an important gathering place for artists, students and visionaries to explore art-making, design and critical theory about education and the environment. Owned by the California State Department of Parks and Recreation since 1964 and part of the Austin Creek State Recre- ation Area, the Pond Farm site has been closed to the public and minimally maintained in a state of “arrested decay” since Margue- rite’s death in 1985. In 2012 the National Trust named Pond Farm a National Treasure and joined forces with the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, the California State Parks Foundation, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation to transform Pond Farm into a preserved, well-maintained and engaging

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 19 Located in Sonoma County, California, Pond Farm was the home and studio of Marguerite Wildenhain, an internationally renowned female pioneer in ceramics and ceramics education. Pictured here is the barn that she used as her pottery studio. historic site with strong community support and a sustainable management plan. While Pond Farm is situated in a state park and its legacy is steeped in its unique Northern California setting, its significance extends well beyond its local associations. The Pond Farm Pottery Historic District was recently listed in the National Register for its national significance in the areas of art, education, and social history. Pond Farm holds a compelling place in the history of art and arts education, women’s history, Jewish history, and sustainable living, and above all it embodies a universal story of triumph in the face of adversity. In addition to seeking capital investments in site stabilization, the partners are exploring the creation of a small-scale artist residency program along with other arts programming that will engage the public and share the story of Pond Farm. It is in this context that the Alliance of Artists Communities—an international association of artist residency centers—was recently asked by the National Trust to explore how the arts and artist residency programs can offer a path forward in re-envisioning historic sites.

WHAT ARE ARTIST RESIDENCIES? Over a century ago, the first artist colonies in the United States were created as places where artists gathered to devote them-

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 20 selves wholly to their art, typically seeking seclusion, a bucolic natural landscape, and the fellowship of like-minded individuals. Today there are more than 1,500 artist residency centers around the globe, defined as places that provide dedicated time and space to artists of any discipline for the development of new creative work. While artist residency centers take many shapes, they are all guided by the conviction that supporting individuals in the creation of new work and the exploration of new ideas is essential to human progress. Beyond sharing this core value, there are countless residency models. There are programs for one or two artists at a time or 50 creative fellows; programs that focus on a single discipline or bring together visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, film- makers, scholars and others; environments designed around solitude and those fostering collaboration and exchange. There are residencies in urban warehouses, in rustic castles, in old army barracks; on crowded urban streets and palm-tree studded beaches; in vacant storefronts, modern factories, and ancient monasteries. Some provide state-of-the-art facilities while others are Spartan—a bed, a chair, a room of one’s own. There are residencies that keep the public at arm’s length and those that welcome the community into the creative process. Some give artists the opportunity for a brief period of intense work for a week or two; others offer them months or years to invest in creative development. More artist residency programs are being created every year.

HOW DO ARTIST RESIDENCIES OPERATE? There is no one-size-fits-all organizational model for artist residencies. While traditional artist colonies have functioned as stand- alone operations primarily for the purpose of providing residencies, more and more residency programs are integrated within other institutions—cultural centers, museums, universities, parks, research centers, commercial industries, and even hotels. Such a variety of models offers artists a diverse set of opportunities for working and engaging with a new community, and allows institutions to develop programming that is appropriate to their location, scale, approach and values.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 21 Pond Farm was the site of Pond Farm Workshops, an artists colony conceived during World War II by a San Francisco couple who wanted to create a sanctuary for European artists. The ongoing funding crisis for California State Parks poses a direct threat to Pond Farm’s survival.

The growing shift from stand-alone artist residency centers to those operating within a broader organizational context is, in part, a reflection of current financial realities. Residencies are generally defined by a focus on creative development not tied to specific outcomes. As such, there are few earned revenue sources for artist residencies, and programs that are not buffered by the support of a larger institution have long struggled financially. The tangible products of a residency—the films and paintings, plays and dances, books and music, and other things that may be programmed and monetized—often emerge months or years later, while many results are never tangible at all. Artists-in-residence may be asked to teach a workshop or offer classes for which the host organization can charge tuition, but the nature of a residency requires time spent creating and exploring free from other expectations, and this often limits participation in fee-based programs of a sufficient scale to subsidize the costs of the residency itself. But while there are few earned revenue sources associated with these residency programs, many have developed a strong network of contributors supporting their work, and indeed the grantmaking community is increasingly interested in artist residencies. Such funders recognize how artist residency programs benefit society by engaging the public in an artist’s creative process, offering a new vantage point from which to see a place or an idea, and celebrating art-making at its source.

HOW ARE ARTIST RESIDENCIES EVOLVING? If the early artist colonies often had a monastic quality, many of today’s communities can be thought of as research-and-development labs for the arts. It’s easy to think of artist residencies as places of escape, but artist residencies are as much about advanc- ing as retreating, about what artists are being drawn to even more than what they are drawn away from.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 22 While the basic notion of providing artists with time and space in an environment designed to encourage creative work has remained constant, three particular trends are shaping the field of artist residencies significantly today. z First, artist residencies are increasingly involved in the intersections of art, science and the environment. Not only are artists more engaged in such work on their own, but they are also seeking opportunities to explore ecological concerns and develop work in collaboration with scientists, environmentalists, resource managers and others that addresses some of the most challenging issues of our time. Residency programs that have a strong commitment to ecology and place can offer a rare opportunity for cross-sector exchange in an intimate setting where individuals are closely connected to a site. z Second, more artist residencies are responding to the interests of artists whose work is tied to engaging the public. While traditional residency programs have focused on supporting the work of solitary studio-based artists, more artists today are involved in community-based art-making or expanding the way they develop and share their creative practice with the public. This offers residency programs unique opportunities to not just share an artist’s finished work with the public but also to illuminate that work to others and draw the public into the creative process. z Lastly, artist residencies are increasingly interested in the relevance of place. Wake to the sound of coyotes in the Santa Cruz Mountains at Djerassi Resident Artists Program; read the names of Thornton Wilder, Aaron Copland and Alice Walker on the walls of The MacDowell Colony; get lost along the boardwalks connecting Atlantic Center for the Arts’ studios in the old Florida forest; take on some of today’s most critical urban challenges at McColl Center for Art + Innovation in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina; board the Arctic Circle’s research ship for three weeks of collaboration and exploration between artists and scientists near the North Pole; or step into the majestic studio of Daniel Chester French in the New England countryside and you can’t help but be shaped by place.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 23 Aaron Copland’s home in Cortlandt Manor, New York, where the composer lived and worked for the last 30 years of his life, is maintained as a historic site as well as an artist residency center. The National Historic Landmark was designated an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures, and the home and studio include many of Copland’s books, furnishings, and memorabilia. Volunteer gardeners maintain the grounds, removing invasive species and planting native ones that are in harmony with the property, and maintaining some of Copland’s favorite plants as an ongoing homage to the composer.

Intended as a living tribute and active workplace, Copland House is operated in a way that is designed to be an extension of the composer’s values rather than a shrine to the artist himself. The residency program hosts one emerging or mid-career composer at a time to live and work at Copland House for three to eight weeks, and residents may offer intimate presentations exploring the creative process.

When composers are not in residence, Copland House occasionally hosts small concerts, open houses or other gatherings in keeping with the intimate nature of the site, and welcomes school and community groups for tours and educational programs. Off site, Copland House also provides educational programs in regional schools, produces a music performance series through a nearby partner venue, and promotes the work of its composers-in-residence and other American composers across the United States through concerts, broadcasts, and recordings by its resident Music from Copland House ensemble. By focusing on Aaron Copland’s legacy of generosity and advocacy for new generations of composers, Copland House has developed a vision that both embraces the history of a person and a place and also contributes to contemporary culture.

Copland House is a National Historic Landmark and creative center for American music based at Aaron Copland’s longtime home in Cortlandt Manor, New York. PHOTO BY MARION GOLD

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 24 ARTIST RESIDENCIES AND HISTORIC SITES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Along with interacting with and drawing insights from physical environments, artists-in-residence may also be affected by the history and context of the site and the surrounding community. While many residency centers continue to provide critical support for creative work that could essentially be done anywhere, other residency programs are increasingly exploring how to cultivate a stronger connection between the artists they host and the site itself. For example, at the Anchorage Museum, in collaboration with the Institute of the North and the Rasmuson Foundation, the museum’s artist-in-residence program provides resources to support artists’ in-depth research and encourage the creation of new work that responds to complex issues of the Polar North. By hosting artists who are interested in exploring a particular place, making use of the site’s unique resources, and engaging in the local community, the Anchorage Museum not only offers renewing perspectives on the critical issues of Alaska but also expands the awareness of artists who then return to their own communities with a deeper understanding of a place and a desire to share that understanding with others. Indeed, as more residency programs are being embedded within broader operational contexts, it is particularly important that we consider how to continue supporting artists in open-ended creative inquiry while also serving an institution’s public mission and engaging in important social themes. Historic properties come with a range of challenges—most significantly, covering the expense of upkeep of the property itself while assuring that its historic integrity is maintained and that historic regulations are adhered to. In addition, determining how best to honor people, places and histories is almost always subjective, and those most closely tied to a site frequently bring competing visions for the future. The residency field offers a variety of models for preserving the legacy of historically significant people and places. There are dozens of examples of bringing new life to the stories and properties of prominent artists through artist-in-residence programs— including artist Mary Hambidge’s Hambidge Center for Creative

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 25 The Saint-Gaudens Sculptor-in-Residence program is the oldest artist residency (1969) in the National Park Service. PHOTO COURTESY SAINT-GAUDENS NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, CORNISH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Arts & Sciences (Rabun Gap, Georgia); monumental sculptor Daniel Chester French’s home, studio and gardens at Chesterwood (Stockbridge, Massachusetts) that are being reimagined as an artist residency and art education center; the arts-and-crafts architect Howard Van Doren Shaw’s family home-turned-residency at Rag- dale (Lake Forest, Illinois); Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site (Cornish, New Hampshire) that preserves the home, garden and studio of the sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens and invites sculp- tors-in-residence to create and demonstrate work to the public; and the newly launched Rauschenberg Residency (Captiva, Flor- ida) in the former home and studio of artist Robert Rauschenberg. In each case, a balance has been sought between faithfully preserving the history of a person and place and allowing the site to evolve through new uses and interpretations. Artists can play a strong role in weaving together the history of a place with new perspectives and contemporary relevance. At Governor’s Island, for example, the residency program of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) hosts artists in visual arts studios, performing arts rehearsal spaces, and a multidisciplinary exhibition space, to develop new work and engage visitors at the historic site. The artists’ work is frequently influenced by the history of the site, the stunning parkland, the water views, and the military architecture, and LMCC’s programming has brought expanding audiences to Governor’s Island to experience the site in new ways through the vision of artists. At Treasure Hill Artist Village in Taiwan, an artist residency program is playing an even more active role in preserving a site. Originally an illegal settlement of military veterans of the Chinese

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 26 Artists residency programs at state and national parks like Pond Farm offer new ways for state and national parks to fulfill their mission of providing for the inspiration and education of park visitors and protecting a cultural resource. Civil War in the 1940s and threatened with demolition for decades, Treasure Hill has been called “the attic of Taipei carry- ing the memories, stories and traditions of the past generations.” Today Treasure Hill is the first neighborhood to be officially designated a historic community of Taipei and, with just 22 of the original families remaining in the settlement, Treasure Hill is working to sustain itself at the intersections of history, ecology and creativity. Bringing artists to live and work in Treasure Hill has been an essential part of this preservation and sustainability strategy, drawing visitors to the district to learn about the important history of the site, welcoming the public into previously unseen spaces that reflect a significant chapter in Taipei’s history, and engaging the community in dialogue about how we honor the past and create a meaningful future in the midst of vanishing histories and environmental fragility.

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE AT STATE AND NATIONAL PARKS Like many of these examples, Pond Farm is more than a historic site—it is also a public site, owned by the State of California and tied to the vision and values of the state parks. While juggling myriad priorities presents some challenges, artist residency programs operating within state and national parks also have extraor- dinary opportunities, as few private artist residencies have access to the environmental resources and expertise, existing educational programs, and diverse audiences that the parks do. By engaging the public in history, nature, community, and creativity, Pond Farm can offer new ways for the state park to fulfill its mission of providing for the inspiration and education of park visitors and protecting a critical natural and cultural resource. Indeed, more than 50 national parks host artists-in-residence to offer opportunities for creative inspiration and provide the public with new approaches to site interpretation. From the Grand

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 27 Canyon, to Denali National Park in the remote Alaskan wilderness, to Ellis Island, artists are invited to live and work at the parks and share their vision of the site with the public. State and national park artists-in-residence play a critical role in supporting the interpretive mission of the parks by offering fresh ways of seeing and being inspired by the setting. For some artists there is an obvious connection between the site and their work, with the landscape making its way onto a canvas, or the sights and sounds of nature woven into a poem, or the ecological issues inherent to the site directly addressed through site-specific projects. But for many artists, a residency in a park manifests itself in more nuanced ways that may incorporate the natural world, the history of a place, the visitors and staff, and the American legacy of public spaces. Engaging with a park’s artist-in-residence who has been offered time to absorb the surroundings and explore new ideas can turn an otherwise passive visit into a moment of insight that alters the way we, the public, experience a place.

IMPLICATIONS FOR POND FARM While there is no single, easy way to transform a historic site into a vibrant, sustainable resource, the arts offer opportunities to preserve Pond Farm’s original intended use as a place for artists to live and work, build public support for the legacy and history of Pond Farm, and engage new audiences with the contemporary relevance of the site. Pond Farm—as a place, a history, and a crucible of ideas—is widely significant and compelling, and the arts offer a path forward for Pond Farm’s future use and as a model for struggling historic sites across the country. Pond Farm was never intended as a shrine, but rather a vibrant home to ideas, curiosity and creative process. Bringing artists to engage with the site again can ensure the vision and the story of Pond Farm are not lost, provide rich interactions with park visitors and the broader community, and foster renewed support for this important national treasure. FJ

CAITLIN STROKOSCH is executive director of the Alliance of Artists Communities, an international association of artist residency centers representing more than 400 organizations worldwide that provide time and space to artists for the development of new creative work. The Alliance provides best-practices resources to the artist residency field, works to ensure artists have access to residency opportunities, and advocates for greater investment in artists and the development of new work.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 28 Advocacy Lessons from the Campaign to Save Prentice

ELIZABETH BYRD WOOD

he story of the campaign to save Chicago’s Prentice Wom- en’s Hospital is a complicated one—involving political wran- Tgling, packed commission hearings, and impassioned pleas from big-name architects. Demolition on this modernist icon began a year ago, in spite of a well-publicized and well-coordinated effort by a coalition of partners to convince the owner, Northwestern University, to save and find a new use for this innovative and striking building. Yet even though the structure was demolished, most people who worked on the campaign don’t see it as a failure. Yes, Prentice Women’s Hospital is gone, but the partners have raised their profile and influence in the community, and have come away with much greater advocacy skills and know-how. The strategies they used— building a strong coalition, employing experts to craft a unified

Prentice Women’s Hospital, design by Bertrand Goldberg, opened to international acclaim in 1975. In spite of a spirited and determined advocacy campaign to save the building, it was demolished in 2013. PHOTO BY JIM PETERS

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 29 message and distribute it widely through social media, taking legal action—can provide models for other preservationists facing similar challenges.

A BRIEF BACKGROUND It is hard to condense the sequence of events leading up to the building’s demolition into just a few paragraphs, but here’s a brief summary. Prentice Women’s Hospital was designed by Bertrand Goldberg, an award-winning Chicago architect with Bauhaus training, and opened in 1975. The distinctive, concrete, cloverleaf-shaped building was considered a groundbreaking Modernist treasure by people across the world. Healthcare professionals praised the innovative design that clustered patient rooms into four “villages of care” on each floor, to facilitate better interaction among staff, patients and families. In 2007, the Women’s Hospital moved to a new facility, leaving half of the building vacant. In late 2011, the building’s owner, Northwestern University, announced plans to raze Prentice and construct a new research facility in its place. Preservation Chicago and Landmarks Illinois had been urging the Commission on Chicago Landmarks (Landmarks Commission) for years to designate Prentice as a city landmark as a means of gaining formal recognition for this important Modernist landmark, which clearly met and exceeded Chicago landmarking criteria.

Prentice Hospital featured an open-floor plan with four circular villages of care on each floor to improve the patient experience at the hospital. PHOTO COURTESY ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 30 When it finally came up for vote during a hearing in November 2012, the Landmarks Commission voted unanimously to give the building preliminary landmark status—and then two hours later in the same meeting, the commission reversed its decision after hearing the results of a report prepared by the City’s Department of Housing and Economic Development (HED) that recommended not granting landmark status, paving the way for demolition. Because the preliminary landmark designation, the presentation of the economic report, and the rescinding of the preliminary designation all took place within a two-hour meeting, the public did not have the opportunity to respond to the department report. In an effort to reinstate the commission’s landmark designation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, joined by Landmarks Illinois, filed a lawsuit against the Landmarks Commission and the City of Chicago. The suit argued that the commission unlawfully rescinded the designation in violation of Chicago’s landmarks ordinance by improperly weighing alleged economic arguments and by usurping the authority of City Council. The City Council, which has the right to make the final decision on landmarking when landmark status is granted by the Landmarks Commission, never got to vote on whether Prentice met the criteria for a Chicago Landmark because the HED report prevented that from happening, based solely upon economic factors. There were more twist and turns in the saga, but ultimately, in February 2013, the National Trust and Landmarks Illinois voluntarily withdrew their legal challenge against the City of Chicago and the Commission on Chicago Landmarks believing that they had pursued all options to find a solution. Demolition on the building began during the summer of 2013, and recently Northwestern University unveiled plans to build a 45-story tower to house a biomedical research center on the site.

NATIONAL TREASURE DESIGNATION Prentice, one of the first buildings selected for the National Trust’s newly established National Treasures program, was chosen for several reasons. It was undeniably an important Modernist building in a major city that prided itself on its legacy of modern-era architecture;

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 31 Eye-catching graphics helped Prentice supporters make the case for saving this modernist icon.

it was one of the most important preservation battles in the city of Chicago at the time; and the threat of its demolition was representative of the increasing number of threats to Modernist architecture across the country. Chicago preservationists had been concerned over the fate of Prentice for a number of years. The hospital had been on Landmarks Illinois’ Chicagoland Watch List in 2005–2006 and on its statewide endangered list for four years in row. It was included on the National Trust’s List of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2011. In 2012, the Save the Prentice Coalition was formed to advocate for the preservation of the building. The coalition included Preser- vation Chicago, AIA Chicago, DOCOMOMO_Chicago.midwest, Landmarks Illinois, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The short-term goal of the coalition was to save the building; the longer term goal was to raise awareness of and appreciation for modern architecture in Chicago and elsewhere.

WORKING WITH PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONALS Preservationists are often told that they need to do a better job of telling their story, and in this case, the coalition recognized that it had to do a bang-up job of getting the message out. A newspaper article or editorial doesn’t have the same impact that it used to now that people get so much of their information and insights from Facebook messages, blogs, YouTube clips, tweets, and so on. Because of this, the coalition realized that it would be vital to get help from public relations professionals to craft a message that people would relate to, and then get the message out to the widest possible audience. The coalition also knew that the campaign to save Prentice would be a political battle and that it needed help with a political strategy as well. While it was important to get public support, the coalition also wanted to know how best to influence decision makers.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 32 An ambitious public relations campaign involving tours, special events, and a strong social media presence generated significant grassroots support for Prentice.

The coalition turned to a local public relations firm, ASGK Public Strategies, for help. The advocacy campaign that followed was far more ambitious than anything the partners had attempted before. National Trust Field Director Chris Morris, project manager for Prentice Hospital, says the PR effort “recast traditional messages, strategies and tactics to generate significant media attention, grassroots support and political recognition from key decision makers in Chicago.” Thanks to a strong social media presence, the campaign generated significant grassroots support, reaching more than 29 million individuals. Bonnie McDonald, president of Landmarks Illinois, confirms that hiring a PR firm was the right thing to do. She says that many preservation organizations simply don’t have the skills required to conduct a sophisticated and far-reaching public relations campaign. Eric Herman, managing director for ASGK Public Strategies, explains that the media outreach on Prentice certainly raised the profile of the issue. “We raised a stink to make it as difficult as possible to demolish the building.” He also notes that the Save the Prentice Campaign forced Northwestern University to create a counter campaign. Northwestern used many of the same tools that the Prentice advocates did—it created a Facebook page, and used Twitter and other social media tools to explain why it felt that the building needed to be demolished to make way for a new facility. Northwestern’s tag line was “Finding Tomorrow’s Cures.” “That is a very tough message to go up against,” one campaign veteran noted.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 33 Chris Morris says that, thanks to the work of the public relations firm, the preservation advocates received phenomenal press coverage. In a November 2013 blog post, she writes: “The fight to save Prentice was one of the biggest—if not the biggest—preservation story of 2012. I think it’s safe to say that we never would have gotten Prentice on the Landmark Commission’s agenda for consideration as a landmark if there hadn’t been such consistent and good coverage of the issues in the Chicago media and the national press. Much of that was due to our PR firm, ASGK Public Strategies. They became a very important part of the team and they taught the Save the Prentice Coalition so much about how to work effectively with the media.” Chicago architecture blogger Lynn Becker agreed in a blog post from February 14, 2013, crediting the Save the Prentice Coalition for “creating a textbook model of how to run a public advocacy campaign.”

A HARDER SELL FOR BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE? It is one thing to advocate for the preservation of a row of charming bungalows or a gracious old courthouse, but raising support for Brutalist architecture can sometimes be a hard sell. Prentice was no different. According to one newspaper article, some likened the building to a prison. McDonald says that it was a challenge for the coalition to educate a population that is not “warm and fuzzy to Brutalist buildings” about the structure’s significance. She explains that this type of architecture is still remembered by some as the unwelcome replacement for the older buildings that were demolished during urban renewal in the 1960s. McDonald feels that, as a result of the campaign, the work of Bertrand Goldberg is better acknowledged and Chicagoans recognize that more of his work should be saved. McDonald believes that appreciation for Modernist buildings is generational. Much of the support for saving Prentice came from Millennials and Generation Xers, she says. “Prentice was a bellwether for this younger generation of preservationists.” Like the earlier generation’s fight to save New York’s Penn Station, Prentice opened the eyes of younger audiences to the fact that unless they take action, many Modernist icons will be demolished.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 34 Gunny Harboe is a Chicago architect and a founding member of DOCOMOMO_US, a nonprofit organization established in 1995 which focuses on the documentation and conservation of buildings, sites and neighborhoods of the modern movement. Harboe reports that the organization has seen Brutalist buildings increasingly threatened. People have a hard time “hugging a forceful and strong, concrete building.” He also notes that these buildings can sometimes be difficult to convert to new uses. He points out, however, that people have been finding new uses for such buildings for more than 40 years now, and that with flexibility and creativity, alternative uses can be found for Modernist structures. In fact, the coalition worked with several local architectural firms to explore alternative uses for Prentice and found that, with the adaptability Goldberg designed into the building, it could be converted for other uses—including as part of a new research lab that would meet all of Northwestern’s stated needs. Northwestern refused to even consider the plans.

A LAWSUIT AND ITS AFTERMATH Taking legal action can be daunting for any organization, but in this case, the coalition felt that the City’s landmarking process for the building was flawed. As Bonnie McDonald put it, “The lawsuit was as much about ensuring a fair process as about the building itself.” McDonald recalls that deciding to join the coalition in its lawsuit against the Landmarks Commission and the City of Chicago required careful thought by Landmark Illinois’ staff and board members. “We had to ask ourselves: Do we have support of board leadership? Do we have the wherewithal to manage a lawsuit? What will be the level of repercussions? Will we lose political capital?” Because Landmarks Illinois is a statewide organization, McDonald adds that they also had to think holistically about how involvement in the lawsuit would affect the organization’s other work across the state. Michael Rachlis is a Chicago attorney who was one of the lead attorneys on the lawsuit. He says that taking legal action can be a useful tool in the preservation tool box. He explains that filing a lawsuit “does not always create an intractable cavern among the

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 35 In response to arguments that Prentice could not be converted to new uses, the coalition worked with several architectural firms to explore alternative uses for the building. PHOTO COURTESY LANDMARKS ILLINOIS

two parties.” Instead it can sometimes be a way to work out issues. In this case, the process was important, he says, because it forced the other side to think about how they proceed in the future. Martin Sinclair, Jr., an attorney with the Chicago office of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP also provided pro bono services to the coalition. He knew the building well, having attended law school just across street. With Prentice, he says, the City “short-circuited a statutory process designed to foster public dialogue about what to do with buildings worthy of landmark designation.” He explains that the coalition filed the lawsuit in order to try to save the building—but also to “engage the City in a discussion about the value of Prentice.” The lawsuit demonstrated to the City that preservationists in Chicago “are willing to make their voice heard and ensure that the public is involved in the landmarking process.” The coalition, however, wanted to preserve both Prentice and its relationship with the City, he notes. “We wanted to work with the City to ensure that this pattern and these procedures did not continue.”

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 36 Rachlis concludes that, even though the coalition eventually withdrew its lawsuit, it assisted in achieving its long-term goal of having a clear, fair and effective process for landmarking buildings in Chicago, which will help future preservation efforts.

A NEW WAY OF DOING BUSINESS IN CHICAGO? Coalition members feel that the campaign to save Prentice has led to an increased level of respect for preservation advocates from Chicago decision makers. As one person put it, “they [decision makers] realized that supporters were willing to go to the wall to save the building, and so from now on perhaps [they] need to engage [us] early on.” Michael Rachlis hopes that the campaign to save Prentice will change the way similar situations are handled in the future. “On the preservation side,” he says, “it demonstrated the importance of having a large network of partners and supporters.” “On the City side,” he says, “the City recognized that there were issues with what transpired and that forced the City to step back and evaluate what occurred and how things could be done better on a more general level. And it opened the door to further discussions on such issues down the road.” And Chris Morris adds, “If nothing else, the public and the press now understand the role of the Commission on Chicago Landmarks and how critical they are in protecting Chicago’s architectural heritage.”

POWER TO “THE PEOPLE” All of the coalition members interviewed for this article agree that forming a strong coalition is critical to this type of campaign. Gunny Harboe concludes, “We lost a building, but we forged a powerful and well-orchestrated campaign by working together and speaking with one voice.” If and when another building is threatened, he says, “we will be able to re-forge [the coalition].” McDonald relates that now, when she mentions where she works, people say “Oh, yes, you are one of the Prentice People.” And even when she talks to those who disagreed with organization’s stance on Prentice, she says that they respect that “the organization stood up for its convictions.”

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 37 Until the next Chicago landmark is threatened, coalition members may have to live with the appellation of “Prentice People.” But they are ok with that. The Prentice People pursued groundbreaking strategies to save a building—and in doing so, provided the preservation community with a shining example of how to run an effective and well-organized advocacy campaign. FJ

ELIZABETH BYRD WOOD is a senior content manager in the preservation resources division at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

TAKEAWAY Click here for seven key social media takeaways from the Prentice campaign.

VIDEO Click here for a time-lapse video showing the demolition of Prentice Hospital.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 38 National Treasures Program Strategies for Engaging Diverse Communities

TANYA BOWERS

he National Trust is committed to making preservation relevant to all people, and many of its National Treasures Tprojects reflect the underappreciated or lesser-known parts of our history. Strategies to save these sites involve working with new partners and new constituencies, taking a fresh look at how sites are interpreted, and bringing previously untold stores to light. Here are some examples:

FORT MONROE, HAMPTON ROADS, VIRGINIA Thanks to the involvement of a new constituency, the historic churches established by Freedom Seekers in Virginia, Fort Monroe, located in Hampton, Virginia, gained national recognition. In addition to its military importance as a Union stronghold during the Civil War, the fort was also a haven where some 500,000 once-enslaved people gathered for protection. A National Trust intern, Monica Rhodes, researched the history of the churches these Freedom Seekers established near Fort Monroe, then reached out to the churches’ current pastors. She persuaded eight ministers to sign a joint letter to President Obama urging him to designate Fort Monroe as a National Monument. The pastors’ letter got the attention of the White House and confirmed the close connections

In 2011 President Obama named Fort Monroe a National Monument. Supporters were on hand for the signing, including current pastors of churches located near the fort that were established by the Freedom Seekers. PHOTO BY PETE SOUZA/ OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 39 Engaging community leaders was important in efforts to have Chimney Rock designated as a National Monument. PHOTOS BY TOBIAS HOELLRICH

between the history of Fort Monroe and the contemporary lives of African Americans in the surrounding community.

CHIMNEY ROCK, NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS Chimney Rock holds great spiritual significance for more than 20 pueblos of New Mexico and Texas. Other Native American tribes who live nearby, but do not claim a direct affiliation, also recognize Chimney Rock as a site of great sacred importance. Each pueblo and tribe is a sovereign nation. The National Treasures team cold-called the affected tribes to gauge their level of interest in designating Chimney Rock as a National Monument; approximately half the tribes sent a letter of support to the White House. Partners such as Crow Canyon Archaeological Center helped the National Treasures team reach out to tribal leaders that they had worked with on a regular basis. Formal letters were sent to them via fax, email, and mail, followed by multiple phone calls. The biggest payoff came when the pueblos overarching political entity—the All Indian Pueblo Council (AIPC)— worked with the team on advocacy efforts. These outreach efforts worked. On September 21, 2012, AIPC Chairman Chandler Sanchez gave an opening prayer at the Chimney Rock National Monument designation event. Several hundred participants from numerous tribes and pueblos, local environmental groups, the chamber of commerce and preservation partners heard him reflect on Chimney Rock’s importance and his satisfaction with the government-to-government consultation the Obama Administration provided.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 40 POND FARM, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA Pond Farm, the Sonoma County home and studio of Marguerite Wildenhain, a Bauhaus-trained potter, author and teacher is considered to be one of the most accomplished 20th-century ceramicists in the United States. Wildenhain fled Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany and Holland to start a new life in a remote Northern California outpost. Potential partners dedicated to preserving and revitalizing this National Treasure included those interested in Jewish heritage as well as in art history and women’s history. Through networking with Jewish institutions and philanthropists, the National Treasures team discovered that the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco planned to feature Pond Farm in a major exhibit called “Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism.” Related activities of the museum included a special event for donors cohosted by the California State Parks Foundation, lectures about Pond Farm, and a tour of the site.

ANTIGUO ACUEDUCTO DEL RIO PIEDRAS, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO It is vital to develop trust about historic preservation by working respectfully with potential partners. “Remember the resource in question has identity in its own right, and it is not the object of the lead organization [in this case National Trust] to co-opt the site,”

The National Trust is working with its partners to advocate for the protection of the Antiguo, Acueducto del Rio Piedras, including developing a website and preparing a media campaign. PHOTOS COURTESY PARA LA NATURALEZA

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 41 advises Nancy Tinker, project manager for Antiguo Acueducto del Río Piedras in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This late 19th– early 20th– century complex comprising a dam, water treatment systems, and workers housing played a crucial role in the city’s development. Now the historic integrity of the structures and setting are threatened by redevelopment efforts underway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The National Treasures team has been working with partners in multiple ways to advocate for protection of the site, including developing a website and preparing letter-writing and media campaigns. Appropriately, the National Treasures team has chosen to refer to the San Juan Waterworks by its Spanish name, “acueducto.” Additionally, given that much of the target audience for this advocacy effort is Spanish speaking, the acueducto’s National Treasure’s webpage appears in both English and Spanish— a first for the National Treasures program.

HINCHLIFFE STADIUM, PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey, a Works Progress Administration building, is where the Negro Leagues played before the integration of professional baseball. The leagues included numerous Latino players; in fact, one team was called the New York Cubans. Today Paterson’s Latino population (56.9 percent) exceeds its black population (29.5 percent).1 A recent effort to clean up the abandoned and neglected site, organized by the National Treasures team, was highly successful in rallying Paterso- nians, other Jerseyites and New Yorkers including Latino and African American students and

In April 2014, a group of 700 volunteers, including Latino and African American students, flocked to Hinchliffe Stadium to remove graffiti, pull weeds, and apply fresh paint. PHOTO BY DUNCAN KENDALL

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 42 community members—creating the Trust’s most diverse and largest volunteer event. The project was publicized to varied local nonprofit organizations, using a contact list developed by the local steering committee. The committee included members of the local preservation commission which is noted for its broad racial and ethnic diversity. Volunteers spread the word; some even donated money. The media campaign included radio advertisements on a jazz station, three weeks of promotional ads, and publicity efforts that led to more than 400 print and on-air stories about the stadium (5 percent of which were in media specifically targeted to Latino audiences). On the clean-up day, in April 2014, some 700 volunteers, organized through the National Trust’s Hands-on Preservation Experience (HOPE) Crew program, flocked to the sports venue to remove graffiti, pull weeds, and apply two fresh coats of paint. Although the event was promoted as an opportunity to learn professional painting skills, the project also brought community members together to support their history and heritage.

VILLA LEWARO, IRVINGTON, NEW YORK Brent Leggs, senior field officer for the National Trust and project manager for Villa Lewaro says that if volunteers from diverse communities are going to contribute to the advocacy strategy, “you have to be intentional” in recruiting them. Efforts to promote the preservation and continued use of Villa Lewaro, former mansion of Madam C.J. Walker, America’s first female millionaire, have been aimed at both female and African American audiences. At a recently held visioning workshop, real estate developers, entrepre- neurs, preservationists and consultants were recruited to identify financially sustainable appropriate reuses for the African American cosmetics entrepreneur’s Irvington, New York, residence. The Trust broke new ground by explicitly seeking the participation of accomplished African Americans, and the panel of nine continues to champion this project. Options they proposed include converting the mansion and grounds into a spa, an events venue or a technology center. To engage wider interest in the history and the future of the

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 43 The National Trust along with its partners is exploring new uses for the Villa Lewaro, the home of cosmetics and business pioneer Madam C.J. Walker. PHOTO BY DAVID BOHL site, several bloggers with national and international followings were invited to tour the site after the workshop, including award- winning writer Claire Sulmers of Fashion Bomb Daily (blog for the “multicultural fashionista”) and other female bloggers who specialize in writing about women’s issues and entrepreneurship.

HAAS LILIENTHAL HOUSE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA The use of minority and immigrant labor to build and run the grand places of America’s elite is a prevalent theme at historic sites across the country. At the Haas Lilienthal House, an 1886 Queen Anne Revival urban historic house museum now undergoing “rein- vention” with help from the National Treasures team, interpretation will be expanded to include the little-known stories of its immigrant servants and Chinese housekeeper. Brian Turner notes that more inclusive interpretive programming that tells the story of minority communities’ contributions to historic sites can be an effective way to building a broader coalition of consitutents. He feels that it is only to a site’s detriment to shy away from telling the true story of the historic division of labor, which was often based on racial and ethnic lines. Newer and younger audiences, he suggests, are very eager to learn more about the story of the proverbial “little guy.” Anthony Veerkamp, director of the San Francisco Field Office, suggests that we can

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 44 The Haas Lilienthal House conveys the role of Jewish immigrants in the development of the American West. The National Trust worked behind the scenes with the house owner, San Francisco Architectural Heritage, to ensure the long-term sustainability of this unique house musem. PHOTO BY JEFF SCOTT

overcome a perceived lack of relevance by “introducing audiences to historic preservation and historic sites through the portals that feel comfortable to them, engaging the community directly in programming that incorporates living culture such as mural painting, traditional music and food festivals.” Researching an area’s historic and current demographic make- up is key, but Turner warns, “Don’t assume that just because a resource is important to a group’s history that it will be broadly supported [by that group today].” What might have once been an important cultural center may change status if the community historically associated with it no longer lives in the vicinity. But sometimes this allows for a new, different demographic group to take a vested interest in the site’s history and preservation.

HOUSTON ASTRODOME, TEXAS Members of diverse communities may be good prospects to engage in advocacy efforts if they live near a significant site or are involved in activities there, whether or not these groups were originally associated with the site. Project manager Beth Wiedower discovered this as she worked to save the Houston Astrodome. Given this National Treasure’s location in the country’s most diverse city and its function, until recently, as a sports and enter- tainment venue enjoyed by many segments of the population, it was natural to try to involve diverse communities in generating support for the reuse of this post-modernist structure. While there was not, at first, a specific strategy aimed at engaging Houston and Harris County’s diverse communities, involving these groups became a critical part of building a political

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 45 campaign to promote preservation of the site. The National Trea- sures team looked comprehensively at the area’s demographic make-up: race and ethnicity, socioeconomic, age distribution, sexual orientation/gender identity, political affiliation and geography (downtown versus suburban). The team is now very conscious about reaching diverse audiences. The messaging is now more strategic, particularly pitched to those groups who have not traditionally had a relationship with the state historic preservation office (SHPO) or the state/local preservation partner.

JOE FRAZIER’S GYM, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Telling the full story of American history, in all its parts, matters, Turner says, not just to leave future generations the most accurate representation of how all people lived, but also as an issue of human rights. He explains: “The right of people to access their history builds community, pride, and provides a basic sense of belonging in a world that may have otherwise felt harsh and exclusive. The appeal to majority communities must be to this point: that we all deserve to have our stories told in order to live in a fair and just society.” One good example of wide engagement can be seen in the efforts to preserve and find a new use for Joe Frazier’s Gym in Philadelphia. The building where the world heavy-weight champion and gold-medal winner trained is viewed as a cultural treasure by African Americans in his hometown of Philadelphia, but much work to save it has also been accomplished by allies who are white. Temple University students’ initial research and documentation served as a catalyst. Heritage Consulting Group, a preservation consulting firm with offices in Philadelphia and Seattle, wrote the National Register nomina- tion (now pending).

The input of the local community has been critical to assessing the opportunities for rehabilitating and reusing the Joe Frazier Gym in Philadelphia. PHOTO BY BEN LEECH

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 46 Rosenwald Schools not only tell the story of African American education, they also tell the story of a Jewish-African American partnership, which has engaged a mixed national constituency.

The Philadelphia chapter of the Urban Land Institute next convened a panel of real estate professionals to assess opportunities for rehabilitating and reusing the modest, three-story brick building, and invited varied stakeholders, including members of the local community, to provide input. Champions for preservation were chiefly concerned that the gym protect Frazier’s legacy. But two African American activists in their 60s provided another point of view. Putting the preservation of Frazier’s gym into the context of local African American history, they reminded the panel that enough of Philadelphia’s African American physical fabric had already been lost, and to lose another landmark would be an injustice. Understanding that this cultural treasure is a neighborhood anchor, they want it to remain a community resource.

ROSENWALD SCHOOLS The Rosenwald Schools Initiative, now also a National Treasures project, is another cause that has wide appeal across many segments of the population. During 1912–1932, thanks to a partnership between Booker T. Washington of Tuskegee Institute and Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, more than 5,300 schools, vocational shops and teacher’s homes were built across 15 states to provide desperately needed educational facilities for African American children in the segregated South. Since 2002 the National Trust has been working with local grassroots activists and Rosenwald School alumni, professional preservationists, historians, and other interested individuals, including Rosenwald family members, to

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 47 help identify, preserve and develop new uses for these important community buildings. While largely a story of African American education and uplift, this is also a story of Jewish–African American partnerships, then and now. This National Treasures project has developed organically to engage a mixed national constituency. That’s because “the Rosenwald School story is more than just an African American or Jewish American story. It is a story of social justice, deeply woven into the rich, multicultural fabric that is American history, that transcends race, and has huge appeal to the broad spectrum of our citizenry,” says Tracy Hayes, Rosenwald Schools project manager. For that matter one doesn’t have to be of a particular background to advocate for a diverse preservation project. Hayes encourages all involved in preservation to be open to learning about and building their understanding of the cultural communities with whom they will be working. She urges, “Help empower those communities to think broadly in their work, placing their resource in the larger context.”

CONCLUSION Recognition of the vital roles played by diverse communities in creating, using and influencing America’s historic places will continue to be a priority for the National Treasures program. “The National Trust has made steps forward in demonstrating the contributions of minority groups by offering a platform to have the discussion [about this],” Brian Turner says. “And in doing so we have increased awareness of what our country’s history is truly composed of.” FJ

TANYA BOWERS is the director of diversity at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

1 www.newjersey-deomgraphics.com/paterson

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 48 Federal Designation as a Preservation Tool: Benefits and Challenges

DENISE RYAN

mong the many potential tools available to help protect and revitalize historic resources, one of the most impor- Atant—but sometimes misunderstood—is obtaining federal designation for a site. There are a variety of federal designations to consider—each one with its own set of benefits and challenges. This article provides an overview of some of these designations and notes how they can be used to bring attention, funding, and management oversight to save the historic sites and landscapes that matter to preservationists across the country. There are two paths to a federal designation: through the action of Congress or through the executive branch. Some of these designations require Congress to take action and pass a bill, but some designations can be made by the president or by an administrative decision of the National Park Service. Below are a few of the more popular designations to consider.

THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND THE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARKS PROGRAM The National Park Service administers both the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmarks Program, programs established by the National Historic Preservation Act. Both of these designations can be granted to a property regardless of the owner’s approval. National Register properties are places deemed worthy of preservation that tell the stories that are important to local communities, the state or the nation. The National Historic Landmark (NHL) designation is reserved for properties of importance at a national level. All NHL properties are included in the National Register of Historic Places. To determine eligibility for the National Register or for an NHL designation, the property will

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 49 The Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois, was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2006 for its significance in the history of modernism and as an exemplary work of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. PHOTO BY MIKE CREWS be evaluated for its age (it ordinarily needs to be at least 50 years old to be considered historic), integrity and significance. Both types of designation encourage preservation by docu- menting and providing official recognition of a place’s historical significance. Owners and stewards of designated places may also be eligible to make use of preservation incentives for the protection and historically appropriate rehabilitation of the properties, such as federal preservation grants, federal rehabilitation tax credits, and preservation easements. Unfortunately, the designation does not mean the property is protected or preserved forever; in fact, there are no prohibitions against damaging or even destroying the property. However, designation can trigger the involvement of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in a Section 106 review when there is a federal undertaking or project that may affect the property.

NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA National Heritage Area is a federal designation granted by Congress to foster community stewardship of our nation’s heritage where natural, cultural and historical resources are intertwined to form a nationally important landscape. A National Heritage Area is not a National Park; however, the National Park Service provides technical assistance to NHAs and manages the distribution of matching federal funds from Congress that are earmarked for NHA entities. There is no imposition of land controls within the boundary of an NHA and there are no federal ownership rights, although there may be some federal lands or federally protected lands that lie within the boundary of an NHA. One such example is the Journey through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area which includes parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. This NHA has a

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 50 In 2009, Congress designated the Mississippi Delta as a National Heritage Area to “foster partnerships and educational opportunities that enhance, preserve, and promote the heritage of the Mississippi Delta.” The National Trust is working with this National Treasure to develop a management plan to guide the area’s activities for the next 10-15 years. PHOTOS BY CAROLYN BRACKETT number of National Park sites within the boundary including Get- tysburg National Military Park, the Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park, Manassas Battlefield Park, Antietam National Bat- tlefield, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and Monocacy National Battlefield. The congressional designation imposes no land controls on either private, state or public properties, and provides no extra measures of protection for the historical, cultural or natural resources within an NHA. On the plus side though, establishing an NHA brings government, business, and nonprofit groups together to work toward building greater appreciation of and protection for the historical, cultural and natural heritage of an area or region. Often the goal is to promote tourism, which can lead to widespread economic benefits for the area. An example of a recent National Trust Treasure is the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area. Each NHA has been individually authorized by Congress, and there is no overarching statutory authority for the program. There have been attempts in multiple sessions of Congress to pass such a bill, but none has been successful. The National Park Service has taken the position of supporting a statutory framework for an NHA program, requesting that Congress pass legislation that establishes criteria to evaluate potentially qualified NHAs and establish a process for the designation, funding and administration of those areas before designating more NHAs.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 51 The National Park Service is also working on standardizing time- frames and funding for designated areas. Today there are 49 NHAs, and these are competing for diminishing grant funding intended to help both operate existing NHAs and develop new ones.

NATIONAL PARK (NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD, NATIONAL SEASHORE AND OTHERS) Without a doubt this is the best-known federal designation for protecting historic and cultural sites in the United States and probably the most beloved. Places such as Gettysburg, the Statue of Liberty and Yellowstone are iconic sites and landscapes that are vital to telling the American story. The National Park system has 401 separate units which are designated to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects (sites, buildings and artifacts) and to provide for the enjoyment of them by such means that will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. Only Congress can designate a National Park. It is important to note that not all of the units in the National Park System are National Parks. The National Park Service has a set of nomenclature for the units of the system, and the names are as diverse as the sites they protect. These include National Battlefield, National Military Park, National Historic Site, National Lakeshore, National Seashore, National Monument and more. But all of the units of the National Park System are managed in the same way regardless of what they are called. With the one exception of National Monument (discussed below), all of the other designations can only be made by Congress. The traditional path to designating a National Park unit starts with Congress passing a bill to initiate a Special Resources Study, which will evaluate the site’s suitability, integrity and other factors. But once the study has been authorized, it joins the queue of other studies waiting to be funded. The average study costs about $500,000, and there isn’t enough funding allocated per year to pay for all of the studies authorized by Congress. When the study is done, the National Park Service will issue a report of the study which analyzes the site’s history, present conditions, current management and suitability for inclusion in the

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 52 Recent legislation passed by Congress expands Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania to include the Gettysburg Train Station, known as the Lincoln Train Station, where the president arrived for the dedication of the National Cemetery. PHOTO BY MICHAEL MARTIN

National Park System. If the National Park Service decides it wants the site to be added to the system, then Congress must introduce another bill to designate the site as a National Park unit, which includes defining the purposes of the designation and the site’s boundaries. This additional step can move forward smoothly or get caught in congressional gridlock. Getting a historic place designated as a National Park unit is seen by some as the highest and most prized federal recognition. Some may assume that this will solve all of their preservation woes, but it is important to be realistic about the immediate aftermath of the designation. A National Historical Park designation will not transform the site into what we have come to recognize as a beloved National Park unit like Independence Hall right away. In fact, it can take more than a decade to ramp up the staffing and plan the management of new National Park units. Right after any kind of designation is made, one National Park Service staff member may be officially designated as the superintendent or first employee for the site, but don’t expect an army of National Park Service rangers showing up at the park. In the past, it has taken many years to plan the management of a park and to get funding for staffing, more-detailed management plans and even basic signage. In the last few federal budget cycles, the National Park Service and many other federal land management agencies have had a hard time holding on to level funding, even at a time when the backlog for deferred maintenance for the National Park System is more than $11 billion and growing. In spite of the National Park Service challenges, nothing compares to the recognition and national affection for the National Park Service or a designation as one of its units.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 53 President Obama created a new National Monument at Fort Monroe in 2011. Long recognized for its military heritage, Fort Monroe is also where enslaved African Americans sought protection during the Civil War. Since then the National Park Service has developed a new long-term plan to guide its management of the site, and the State of Virginia is moving ahead with a master plan to restore and revitalize Fort Monroe. PHOTO BY PATRICK MCCAY

NATIONAL MONUMENT National Monument designation is one of the most flexible designations that can be granted by Congress or the president. Not all National Monuments are managed by the National Park Service; in fact, many different agencies have responsibility for these federally designated sites including the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oce- anic and Atmospheric Administration, the War Department (later renamed the Department of Defense) and the Armed Forces Retirement Home. Congress can designate a National Monument through legislation; 40 have been established this way so far. In addition, the president can designate federally owned or controlled lands as a National Monument under the authority of the Antiquities Act, which allows the president to protect historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest. This law has been used more than 130 times by presidents of both parties. Given the wide variety of potential management agencies and two different ways to create a national monument, this is by far the most flexible way to protect nationally significant sites. In the case of National Monuments that are not part of the National Park System, the existing use of the land, such as for livestock grazing or hunting,

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 54 can usually continue, but new uses will be regulated. Notably, new claims cannot be made on these lands for mining, oil and gas extraction, or other resource development. National Monument designation doesn’t guarantee more funding for a historic place, but it does protect specific resources from damage through better management. The downside of a National Monument designation is that, for some, it does not carry the prestige of a National Park designation. However, National Monuments are managed in the same fashion as all other units within the National Park System (whether they are called a Park, Battlefield, Seashore, Historic Site, Monument or other associated National Park System title). For that reason, this is a great option to consider. Learn more about why the National Trust for Historic Preserva- tion supports the Antiquities Act for National Monuments here.

NATIONAL CONSERVATION AREA AND OUTSTANDING NATURAL AREA The designations of National Conservation Area (NCA) and Out- standing Natural Area (ONA) have been reserved primarily for the Bureau of Land Management, the nation’s largest land manager with responsibility for 245 million acres of land, mostly in the western United States. Only Congress can designate NCAs and ONAs, and each designation is custom tailored to the land to be managed. NCAs and ONAs range in size from under 100 acres to more than 1 million acres. These designations, and others like them with similar names, preserve a variety of resources including historical, cultural, natural, geological and paleontological. Most of these designations withdraw the land from future mining, oil and gas extraction or other mineral claims, but allow continued hunting, angling and livestock grazing. Like other designations, there is a statutory requirement to manage the NCA or ONA in a way that will protect the special resources for which it was created; this usually results in modest to significant increases in federal funding and attention for the designated site or landscape. But unlike a National Park, this designation is more flexible, and the visitor should expect a much less struc- tured visit to the site which will rely on self-discovery with primitive

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 55 The Black Rock Desert-High Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area was designated in 2000. It encompasses nearly 1.2 million acres of public lands in northwest Nevada. The landscape features historic wagon ruts and inscriptions and a wilderness landscape unchanged from when pioneers moved westward in the 1800s. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

infrastructure and contact stations located in gateway communities instead of at the site. A contact station could be as simple as an unstaffed information kiosk along the side of the road or a trailhead or it could be a staffed office that issues permits for recreation such as back country camping. Each one depends on the resources and needs of the site.

FEDERAL DESIGNATIONS ARE NOT A CURE-ALL FOR PRESERVATION There are limits to federal designtation, however. It is not always the guaranteed path to financial security that many people think it is. The current financial climate means that the Congress continues to focus on cutting government spending. The number of resources available to take care of federal sites is dropping, and additional staff members are not being hired to shoulder the responsibility for managing newly designated sites. In fact, some National Park superintendents are overseeing multiple park units as other staff retire. According to the National Park Service Budget Justifications for FY 2015, at the end of FY 2013 the deferred maintenance budget for the National Park Service was more than $11.3 billion. That deferred maintenance budget includes several billion dollars for work on structures eligible for or already listed in the National Register of Historic Places. An example of where such a shortfall is significantly affecting treasured resources is at the Ellis Island Hospital Complex in New York, which is managed by the National Park Service but has remained in disrepair and off limits to visitors for decades.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 56 Seeking federal designation for a historic site in order to qualify for federal funding is not a guaranteed solution. But it is a good strategy if a site is of national significance and underrepresented in the federal portfolio of historic sites that help to tell our diverse American stories. In this case, federal designation might provide a good way to attract wider interest in and support for the site. Also, if the site is already federally owned but needs more protection or is threatened with damage or demolition, then federal designation may be an effective way to bring national attention to such concerns. In summary, federal designations are a very important tool in a preservationist’s tool box, but like any tool, they must be used correctly with the understanding that they are not a “magic wand” solution. All of these federal designations involve interaction with the executive branch and/or the legislative branches of government and will demand significant time, ongoing attention and a strong will to work within the federal bureaucracy. Many of these designations are not easy to obtain, but the rewards for the site are usually worth it and will benefit the generations to follow.FJ

DENISE RYAN is the director of Public Lands Policy at the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

TAKEAWAY Click here for a one-page “cheat sheet” that summarizes federal designations.

ForumJournal WINTER 2015 57