Save America's Treasures

"I am proposing a public-private partnership to advance our arts and humanities, and to celebrate the millennium by saving America’s treasures, great and small."
— President William Jefferson Clinton, 1998 State of the Union

The flag that inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner" will be preserved for future generations through the generous support of Save America's Treasures Corporate Partner, Polo Ralph Lauren.

he arrival of the new millennium presents a unique opportunity to take stock of who we are as Americans...and what we want to carry into the 21^st century. From the Star-Spangled Banner, to the ancient cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park, to historic monuments in our hometowns, the testaments to our diverse American experience can be found in communities across the country. Unfortunately, too many of the historic sites, monuments, artifacts and documents that tell America’s story are deteriorating and in danger of being lost forever. These treasures urgently require conservation and preservation to survive into the next millennium. To focus public attention on the importance of our national heritage and the need to save our treasures at risk, the White House Millennium Council teamed with the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1998 to establish Save America’s Treasures.

Program Administration

Richard Moe, President of the National Trust, thanks the J. Paul Getty Trust for its $1.1 million grant to establish the Save America's Treasures Preservation Planning Fund. East Los Angeles, Dec.10, 1998.

Save America’s Treasures is a national effort to protect "America's threatened cultural treasures, including historicstructures,collections, works of art, maps and journals that document and illuminate the history and culture of the United States." Established by Executive Order in February 1998, Save America's Treasures was originally founded as the centerpiece of the White House National Millennium Commemoration and as a public-private partnership that included the White House, the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Dedicated to the preservation and celebration of America's priceless historic legacy, Save Americas Treasures works to recognize and rescue the enduring symbols of American tradition that define us as a nation.

Honorary Chair Laura Bush leads this effort along with co-chairs Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the noted author, Susan Eisenhower. Mrs. Bush succeeds former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton who continues to support the program as its Founding Chair. The Committee to Save America's Treasures, established to provide guidance and support for this historic effort, includes individuals from business, academia and philanthropy, as well as experts in the fields of architecture, historic preservation, art, science and conservation.

About the Partnership

Save America's Treasures at the National Trust for Historic Preservation: From the launch of Save America's Treasures in 1998 to the end of 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation worked with the White House Millennium Council to designate Official Projects. Currently, Save America's Treasures at the National Trust raises funds for historic preservation, advocates the program in the public sector, builds visibility, and provides ad hoc advice and assistance for projects. Please call (202) 588-6202 or email saveamericastreasures@nthp.org for more information.

Save America's Treasures at the National Park Service: As the public partner in Save America's Treasures, the National Park Service administers the program's highly competitive federal grants. Grant recipients automatically become designated Official Projects when the grants are announced, usually in late summer.

Other Partners. Through Save America's Treasures, the National Trust and the National Park Service work closely with a group of partnering organizations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, Heritage Preservation and the National Park Foundation, that are active in determining goals and developing public awareness and educational activities for the program. Click here to find out more about some of the leading participants in the effort to Save America's Treasures.

Goals

"Cheyenne Camp at Home" by Making Medicine, Cheyenne, circa 1875. National Anthropological Archives Smithsonian Institution.

It is one thing to read about our history in books. It is another to understand our history by seeing it, walking through it, experiencing it first hand. Our important structures, original documents, works of art and authentic artifacts inspire us as nothing else can. To help ensure that future generations will have opportunity to experience our past and understand our identity as a community and as a nation Save America’s Treasure’s has established the following goals:

Foster pride in American heritage.
Educate Americans on preservation problems facing the buildings, sites, monuments, objects and documents that represent America’s diverse cultural legacy.
Raise concern for the urgent preservation needs of this country’s historic and cultural treasures.
Stimulate broad-scale involvement in Save America’s Treasures including securing necessary resources and support, organization of grassroots preservation projects, participation in community preservation and educational initiatives.

Programs

To reach these goals, the following programs are being implemented:

An educational outreach program focusing on American history, preservation and conservation.
The identification of Save America’s Treasures Official Projects.
A national campaign to generate support and resources to help preserve treasures that are at risk of being lost.
A national public awareness campaign, including visits to historic sites, an interactive website, media outreach and other special projects.