May 3, 2022
Mayor's Office
DATE: May 3, 2022
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM:
Tom Butt, Mayor
Subject:
Preservation Month – May 2022
FINANCIAL IMPACT: N/A
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
N/A
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Every year in May, local preservation groups, state
historical societies, and business and civic organizations across the country celebrate Preservation Month through events that promote historic places and heritage tourism and demonstrate the social and economic benefits of
historic preservation.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
PROCLAMATION declaring May 2022 as Preservation
Month in the City of Richmond – Mayor’s Office (Mayor
Tom Butt 510-620-6503).
AGENDA
REPORT
May 3, 2022
DISCUSSION:
In 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act was enacted to preserve historical and archaeological sites in the United States, creating the National Register of Historic Places, the list of National Historic Landmarks, and the State Historic Preservation Offices. In 1973, the National Trust for Historic Preservation recognized National Preservation Week, an idea proposed by Donald T. Sheehan, a member of the Trustees Advisory Committee on Membership and Public Relations, as a “means of relating local and state preservation progress to the national effort for the mutual benefits of both. In 2005, the National Trust for Historic Preservation extended the celebration to the entire month of May and declared it Preservation Month to provide an even greater opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique heritage of our country’s cities and states.
Historic preservation is an effective tool for economic development, tourism promotion, protecting cultural resources, revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering local pride, and maintaining community character while enhancing livability and is relevant for communities across the nation of all ages, walks of life, and ethnic backgrounds. It is important to celebrate the role of history in our lives and the contributions made by dedicated individuals in helping to preserve the tangible aspects of the heritage that has shaped us as a people.
The City of Richmond has an active historic preservation program with a number of locally, statewide, and nationally designated historic resources, districts, buildings, and sites including the Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, the Winters Building, and East Brother Light Station. The Richmond Historic Preservation Commission and other historical preservation groups have contributed invaluable work, time, and efforts for the preservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of important resources within Richmond.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Proclamation