Jolie Cross Cohen, Operating Vice President of Public Relations for The Robert Allen Group, is today’s guest blogger. She’s going to give you an update on an exciting new program from The National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Jolie Cross Cohen
As the song goes, “You don’t really know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” That’s why there is such a warm spot in my heart for the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). Since it was founded in 1947, this organization has restored 1,100 structures and collections and created 16,000 jobs. With headquarters in Washington, DC, eight regional and field offices, 29 historic sites, and partner organizations in 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, NTHP provides leadership, education, advocacy and resources to a national network of people, organizations and local communities committed to saving places and connecting us to our history.
Last month, NTHP launched a new social networking section on their website, PreservationNation.org, designed especially for historic home buffs. Coined @home, the online community allows users to build home profiles, post updates, and share photos and home improvement tips. The interactive site allows visitors to search the collection of homes and engage with others around renovation ideas, decorating tips or hints on how to make their homes more energy efficient. Check it out -- the direct link is www.athomenation.org.
Farnsworth House - Image Courtesy of Carol Highsmith
Many people don’t realize the importance of the NTHP in preserving the history of the Modernist design movement. An example is Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, built in 1951 and located near Plano, TX. One of the most famous examples of modernist domestic architecture, it is now owned and operated by the National Trust.
Farnsworth House - Image Courtesy of Carol Highsmith
Preservation of the Farnsworth House and other important modernist icons such as Philip Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, CT, was supported by Save America’s Treasures, a program that is facing elimination in the proposed federal budget. You can help save this component of preservation funding by joining the NTHP’s campaign (see their website at www.preservationnation.org).
Farnsworth House - Image Courtesy of Carol Highsmith
Frank Lloyd Wright, Paul Rudolph and other important 20th Century architects known for Modernist design, can be appreciated by future generations who will tour sites preserved through the efforts of the NTHP. The annual list of “11 Most Endangered Historic Places” focuses efforts on these and other important architectural treasures.