The Candidates' Records On Cultural Heritage Protection

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-werkheiser/in-a-historic-election-wh_b_9548564.html

President Lyn Johnson singing the NHPA in 1966
archhistdaily.wordpress.com

Hello Everyone:

Today we are kind of staying in the Candidate Forum today with a look at the presidential nominee candidates's position on historic preservation.  The American National Historic Preservation Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966 and celebrates its fiftieth anniversary.  In historic preservation terms, fifty years is a good amount of time to step back and re-evaluate the unprecedented coalitions of people who care about their community, history, and culture with an eye to the future.  After all, the actual premises of this blog, historicpca.blogspot.com, is architecture, historic preservation, urban planning and design.

Before yours truly plunges into the subject, Blogger feels obligated to acknowledge all the fine whine coming out of the Sanders and Trump campaign about the elections being rigged.  To both campaigns, Bloggers says, grow up and focus on getting every voter you can.  This is the major leagues, there is no room for grown adults behaving like spoiled children.  That said, on to Greg Werkheiser's recent article in the Huffington Post, "In a Historic Election, Where Do the Candidates Stand on Protection America's Heritage?" which looks at the candidates's stance on historic preservation.

"Preservation 50 1966-2016"
saving places.org

Let us start with a simple fact, saving America's heritage is not the most burning campaign issue.  However, the nation's historic preservation is a uniquely American creature, born out of grassroots movements to save important sites of American history.  Mr. Werkheiser writes, "There is a surprisingly close association between American presidents and historic preservation."  He cites the third President of The United States Thomas Jefferson as "often called the Father of American Archaeology for his excavations of Indian mounds at Monticello in 1782, and his home and the University of Virginia that he founded are now World Heritage Sites."

Members of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association
mountvernon.org

The first recorded national preservation effort was undertaken in 1858 at Mount Vernon, the home of the first President of The United States George Washington.  The Mount Vernon Ladies Association was formed in response to the estate's woeful state.  The story behind it was South Carolina socialite, Louise Dalton Bird Cunningham was traveling along the Potomac where she was appalled at the deteriorating Mount Vernon.  She wrote,

If the men of America have seen fit to allow the home of its most respected hero to go to ruin, why can't the women of America band together to save it?

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the National Antiquities Act into law.  This legislation protected archeological artifacts in the West that told the story of the flourishing cultures of the first Americans-the cliff dwellings in Colorado, Utah, and Arizona.  The National  Antiquities Act  also gave presidents a way to establish National Monuments to protect and preserve buildings and that tell the diverse history of this country such as: Fort McHenry, Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad, and Cesar Chavez's Forty Acres.  Pros. Franklin Roosevelt signed the National Sites Act of 1935, establishing the National Historic Landmarks programs and the Historic American Building Survey.  However, the biggest impact on American historic and cultural resources was the passage of the NHPA in 1966.

"Our Legacy, Our Future"
history.blogs.delaware.gov

Birth of the Federal Historic Preservation Program

The NHPA was a response to the destructive affects of the federal urban renewal and interstate highway programs.  The NHPA created the National Register of Historic and state historic preservation. In California: ohp.park.ca.gov.  It also laid out a process (Section 106) for reviewing projects that involve federal money, land, and permits that ensure that historic buildings and places are considered.

The National Historic Preservation Act also established a program that "comprehensively identify, evaluate, protect, and enhance the Nation's rich cultural heritage."  In practice, to say that value of the NHPA is inestimable is an understatement.  Presently, the National Register lists over 1.7 million resources in more than 80,000 listings.  Mr. Werkheiser writes, "Federal consultation about the impacts to historic sites happens approximately 140,000 times a year."  There are over 2,100 historic district, providing exciting places for people to live and work.  Historic sites like Fallingwater in Pennsylvania and the French Quarter in New Orleans host millions of visitors every year.

Charleston, South Carolina Historic District
forbes.com

Since the passage of the NHPA, Americans have transformed their neighborhoods, across the nation, generating widespread social and economic benefits.  Study after study has proven that the NHPA helps "stabilize neighborhoods and downtowns, contributes to public education and public health, attracts investments, creates jobs, generates tax supports small business and affordable housing, combats blight and powers America's heritage tourism industry."  Really.  Historic places, near and far also "maintain community pride and identity and aid local and regional economies through their operation and maintenance."

Seal of the office of the President of the United States
en.wikipedia.org

Choosing the Preservationist in Chief

Here is another simple fact, this presidential election is, for lack of anything genuinely nice to say, unique for its many well-publicized firsts.  Given the flying insults, obscenities, and accusations, Blogger agrees with Greg Werkheiser's assessment, "...few voters will have cultural heritage protection foremost on their mind when they enter the voting booth."  If you check out the remaining candidates's websites, you will not find a position on historic preservation.  Be that as it may, the candidates should make friends with preservationists because we constitute a sizable voting bloc.  Citing a recent study by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, there are "...1.5 million active local preservationists, nearly the total number of people who voted in the 2008 Democratic primary.  At least 50 million Americans, or 15% of the total US population, are deeply sympathetic to the cause of historic preservation."

The Oval Office
abbeville.com

Needless to say the stakes loom large in this election for cultural resource protection.  Events transpiring over the past several years demonstrate that elected officials play a great role in deciding "whether the policy environment for preservation is favorable."  Greg Werkheiser lists three important questions voter could ask the presidential nominee candidates:

Leadership.  Will you appoint officials who will make cultural heritage preservation a priority domestically and internationally?  The Department of Interior plays a primary role, including through the National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov), which manages almost 100,000 heritage sites...the Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service conserves nearly 350, ooo cultural heritage sites.  The independent Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (http://www.achp.gov) advises the President and Congress and oversees the protective planning process...Will you support international cultural organizations like UNESCO (en.unesco.org)?....

Funding Support. Will you ask Congress to fully fund and permanently authorize the Historic Preservation Fund?....

Incentives for Private Investment.  Will you stand up for the federal historic rehabilitation ta credit?  The tax credits have helped create 2.3 million jobs, save 38,7000 historic structures, and attracted 108 billion in private investments...

With all of this in mind, let us take a look at the candidates's experience with historic preservation and preservation-related issues.  First on the list is Hillary Clinton.

Secretary Hillary Clinton (D-New York)
tvguide.com

Hillary Clinton: if past performance is any indication, Sec. Clinton will be an avid supporter of cultural resource protection.  As First Lady of The United States, Sec. Clinton established and served as Founding Chair of the Save America's Treasures program, "a national effort to match federal funds to private donations to preserve and restore historic items and sites."  This program has award "$315,152,000 to 1,287 grants to federal state, local, and tribal government entities and nonprofit organizations."  Although the program is still in active, presently Congress does not fund it.

White House Blue Room date unknown
pinterest.com

As FLOTUS, Madame Secretary supervised the restoration of the White House's Blue Room to its early 19th-century period of historic significance and the Map Room as it appeared during World War II.  In 2000, Sec. Clinton authored a coffee table book, An Invitation to the White House: At Home With History, which described life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue including all the renovations with proceeds going to White House Historical Association.  During the Clinton Administration, funding for the Historic Preservation Fund doubled.

As Secretary of State, she championed the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation, established by Congress in 2001.  This fund, as Greg Werkheiser writes, "...has demonstrated America's respect for the world's cultural heritage by supporting more than 640 projects in over 100 countries."  During her tenure, Sec. Clinton traveled to 112 countries, earning her the title of "most widely traveled secretary of state."  Much of her travels included tours of her hosts's countries important cultural heritage sites.  As a candidate for the Democratic nomination, Sec. Clinton argues for strong actions to reverse global warming and major investment in infrastructure with energy efficient and sustainability  (http://www.hillaryclinton.com) with the main goal of jobs creation.  Mr. Werkheiser writes, "She does not explicitly tether those goals to historic preservation, however, despite abundant proof that buildings are the primary source of energy loss and that the most efficient building is one that is already built."  Yes.

Donald Trump (R-New York)
nbcnews,com

Donald Trump:  alright, Blogger probably knows what you all are thinking, Donald Trump AND historic preservation?  That goes together about as well as eating a slice pizza with a fork and knife (a major New York faux pas).  Like most things Trump, the Republican frontrunner's record on historic preservation is "extravagant and not easily characterized."  Most of Mr. Trump's pre-Apprentice notoriety was connected to his real estate business.  As improbable as it may sound, Mr. Werkheiser writes,"...and the public imagination of old neighborhoods falling before Mr. Tump's gilded bulldozers may obscure the fact that Mr. Trump has some track of bring new life to historic structures through modern uses."  Allow yours truly to explain.

Perhaps the most extravagant example of Mr. Trump's historic preservation efforts is the restoration of his Palm Beach, Florida residence and private club, Mar-a-Lago.  The 1927 former grand estate of cereal heiress Majorie Merriweather Post was originally bequeathed to the federal government as a possible 'winter White House.  When the government passed on it, the property sat empty for more than a decade until Mr. Trump bought it in 1985 and furnished it for a paltry $10 million.  He spent ten years restoring it with then-wife Ivana.

Aerial view of Mar-A-Lago
Palm Beach, Florida
abcnews.go.com

  An excerpt from the Palm Beach Post said.

Originally, the main house was 55,700 square feet, with 118 rooms, 58 bedrooms and 33 bathrooms.  [A designer] frosted Mar-A-Lago in an unrestrained river of gold leaf, gold bathroom fixtures, rare marbles, carved stone and ancient Portuguese tile.  Rooms were modeled after European palaces.  Workers used the country's entire stock of gold leaf when gilding the living, with 42-foot ceiling.  (http://www.palmbeachpost.com)

Greg Werkheiser writes, "As the rescuer of Mar-a-lago, Trump invested millions of dollars and many years on a historically sensitive rehabilitation of what club's website claims is 'the greatest mansion ever built...'"  Mr. Trump also donated easements on the site to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, receiving perpetual tax benefits.

Old Post Office Pavilion
Washington D.C.
en.wikipedia.org

Presently, Mr. Trump has begun redeveloping the Old Post Office Pavilion, in Washington D.C., not far from the White House, into a luxury hotel.  The project bid pledges to respect the building's historic fabric.  However, Senator James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) demurred over Mr. Trump's use of federal historic tax credits to make the project economically feasible, while the National Trust has defended their use.

Of course, Blogger would be remiss in not mentioning the cultural impact of Mr. Trump's proposed and much ridiculed border wall.  This border wall was the subject of a hilariously scathing rant by John Oliver (http://www.youtube.com) which featured a clip of "testimony from the Chairman of the Tohomo O'dham Nation about the unrestricted description of native graves when the feds built an earlier souther border fence."  To wit, fragments of human remains were found in the tire treads of construction equipment.

Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont)
biography.com

Bernie Sanders: Before he was a successful politician, Senator Bernie Sanders briefly worked at Vermont Historical Interpretation.  Between 1979 and 1980, Sen. Sanders made and sold filmstrip to Vermont schools and libraries.  In literature for the American People's Historical Society, then-director Bernard Sanders wrote,

  It is our belief that state and regional history has too long been neglected by the audio-visual industry and we are happy to begin the process of rectifying that situation.  We believe that students have the right to learn about the state and region which they are living.  (http://blog.uvm.edu)

In the political realm, the Gentleman from Vermont pursued his interests in historic preservation-related subjects.  As Mayor of Burlington, the city was the first in the country to adopt the Community Land Trust as a way for lower and middle income residents to have control over and access housing and public spaces.  Greg Werkheiser reports, "To this day the Burlington Management Plan speaks to the ability to restore and maintain historic structures while maintaining their affordability:

Ben & Jerry's in Burlington, Vermont
doubletree3.hilton.com

Burlington's rich and varied historic and architectural legacy, the result of more than two centuries of development, remains a vital link to the city's history and plays an active part in its future.  (http://www.burlingtonvt.gov)

As a member pf Congress, then-Representative Sanders came to the aide of the preservation community in 1995, "...when the House Appropriations Committee proposed to eliminate the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.  Rep. Sanders proposed an amendment to restore the ACHP's funding that was approved by a vote of 287 to 130.

As a candidate for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Sanders, like Secretary Clinton, proposes bold initiatives to further energy efficiency and sustainability without specifically mention historic preservation's crucial role.  Mr. Werkheiser writes, "He also recently called for greater social and economic justice for Native Americans, stressing the importance of native sacred spaces and of including native voices in decisions over these lands."

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
en.wikipedia.org

Ted Cruz:  Nothing specific on the subject of preservation on the public record from which to gain some understanding on Sen. Ted Cruz's feelings toward the role of government in cultural heritage protection.  Throughout his career, the Senator has focused his policy concerns on law enforcement and social issues.  However, Mr. Werkheiser points out, "There are two major areas in which his philosophy is likely to impact historic preservation, and neither of them in a good way."

First, the Gentleman from Texas, opposes federal land ownership, especially in western states.  This issue came under the white hot national media spotlight during the Bundy militia occupation of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.  This matter re-surfaced in a February campaign commercial in which the Cruz campaign argued for "returning several national monuments to control by states or private citizens.  This position is significant because the federal government holds itself to a much higher standard of stewardship of cultural resources than do the states-due in large part to the provisions of the NHPA.  Many states have weak or nonexistent protections for historic buildings, traditional cultural properties, and archeological sites."

The Grand Canyon
Northern Arizona
usatoday.com

Second as president, Sen. Cruz proposes to radically re-write the tax code which would eliminate the "job generating historic rehabilitation tax credit."  Mr. Werkheiser speculates, "Perhaps Senator Cruz has an alternative strategy to redevelop anchor properties during a tough market but he does not appear to have it public."

Interestingly, Greg Werkheiser does not include Governor John Kasich (R-Ohio) in his survey of the candidates's records on historic preservation.  Perhaps, Mr. Werkheiser does not find Gov. Kasich's candidacy viable enough to spend time discussing his record. Another possibility is that Mr. Werkheiser simply could not find any information on Gov. Kasich and historic preservation.

Where do we go from here?  Quoting William Murtagh, the first Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places, Greg Werkheiser writes,

It has been said that, at its best, preservation engages the past in conversation with the present over a metal concern for the future.

Same could be said about political campaigns, at their best.  As part of the Preservation50 celebration, the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation and its partners are soliciting public comments on how ensure a shining future for cultural heritage protection and public use for the next fifty years and beyond.  Blogger could not agree more with Mr. Werkheiser's final comment, "One way of doing so is to elect presidents, senators, and congressperson who seek not only to make history, but to save it and learn it."

One more thing, recently the state of North Carolina passed a law, HB2 also known as the "Bathroom Bill," which effectively ends legal protection for Gay. Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered persons in the workplace.  Other states have enacted similar legislation.  If you would like to learn more about this issue please go to http://www.equalitync.org.  Blogger would like to thank the members of Duran Duran for making yours truly aware of this issue.