Celebrate Preservation!

By Kelly Larson
Main Street Architect
State Historic Preservation Office
Michigan State Housing Development Authority

Just around the corner in May, it will be time to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month, a time for all of us to take a moment to consider the importance and the impact our historic and cultural resources play in our lives and in our community. 

This year’s theme is “Old is the New Green”, a fitting reminder that our historic buildings play a significant role in creating a more economical and sustainable future. The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) states “We know that preservation is good for communities and good for the pocketbook, but in the face of our growing climate crisis, we can also say with confidence that preservation has a significant role to play in fostering development that is more environmentally and economically sustainable. By giving Preservation Month the theme of sustainability, we are hopeful communities and organizations across the country will help us spread the word that preservation is inherently green. When you reinvest in older and historic buildings…. you support a more sustainable world.” There are many ways to celebrate Historic Preservation Month and “old” being the “new green”. The NTHP has many ideas and resources on their website including:

• Weatherization Guide – a great resource for all things relating to energy efficiency in historic buildings such as windows, roofing, insulation, and mechanical systems. 
• Sustainability Tips – information on how preservation can help fight climate change.  
• Teaching Preservation – ideas for both the classroom and at home to teach our children about the places that matter. 

The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office is also commemorating the month with the “Governor’s Awards for Historic Preservation” taking place on May 5^th, 2010 in the state capitol’s rotunda. They will also sponsor a photo contest celebrating our historic buildings and host a calendar of events happening in local communities across the state so you can learn what events are taking place near you. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/celebratepreservation.  

The Michigan Historic Preservation Network will hold their thirtieth Annual Statewide Preservation Conference on May 13-15, 2010 in Ann Arbor. Fittingly, this year’s theme is “Celebrating Sustainable Communities”. This year’s keynote speaker is Carl Elefante, Principal at Quinn Evans Architects in Washington DC, a national leader on sustainable design and who has spent a decade promoting “the greenest building is… the one that’s already built”. For more information on the conference, visit www.mhpn.org.  

Don’t forget to take time this May to recognize the significant role our “old” buildings have played in our communities’ history and the even bigger role they can play in our “green” future.