Help Us Reach Our Membership Month Goal!

Posted on: May 21st, 2013 by Emily Potter No Comments

 

Large crowd. Credit: National Trust for Historic Preservation

You might know that May is National Preservation Month, designed to encourage community residents to go out and visit the historic sites that make their neighborhoods meaningful places to live.

But did you also know that May is National Trust Membership Month? We launched Membership Month as a way to celebrate the importance of our members and the difference their support makes in helping to save the very places we are shining a spotlight on during National Preservation Month. And this year, our goal is to welcome 150 new members to our organization by May 31.

Whether a local preservationist or preservation professional, National Trust members play a vital role in protecting our country’s heritage. Member support enables us to preserve sacred landscapes, Modernist masterpieces, and beloved communities; fight to protect important preservation legislation that benefits our local economies; and empower individuals to take a stand for the places that matter to them.

Plus, in addition to having such a powerful impact on our work, membership comes with a host of great benefits, such as:

  • An annual subscription to our award-winning magazine, Preservation
  • Discounts on hundreds of historic places across the country and overseas
  • Up to 50% off the best available rate at Historic Hotels of America nationwide

We’re less than two weeks away from our deadline of May 31, and we’re halfway to our goal of welcoming 150 new members to the National Trust. We know we can make it.

If you’re not a member already, we hope you’ll consider becoming one in May. Membership starts at just $20, and joining today means you’ll not only help us reach our goal, but you’ll join thousands of passionate people who care about saving the treasured historic places that tell our stories and honor our heritage.

Every member is important to us, and we are very grateful for your support. Thank you for helping us save places!

Already a National Trust member? You can still help! Make a special donation or renew your membership today.

[10 on Tuesday] 10 Tips for Finding Clues to Your Home’s History

Posted on: May 21st, 2013 by Sarah Heffern 2 Comments

 

Last week, after completing our series on how to buy a historic house, we embarked on the next step in the process: deciding whether to restore or rehabilitate your home. Once that’s decided, the fun really begins, since it involves playing detective. There are clues all around to what your house may once have looked like; you just need to know where to look.

We covered the go-to-the-library angle before in our 10 Ways to Research Your Home’s History toolkit, so today we’ll look more closely at what your house and its immediate surroundings might be trying to tell you. ... Read More →

[Slideshow] From Wild to Whimsical: The Gargoyles and Grotesques of Washington National Cathedral

Posted on: May 20th, 2013 by National Trust for Historic Preservation 1 Comment

 

By Linda S. Glisson, Assistant Director for Information Resources, Main Street

Washington National Cathedral. Credit: Linda S. Glisson
Washington National Cathedral

As a passionate photographer and preservationist, I’m always on the lookout for fascinating buildings, from the funky to the sublime. Washington National Cathedral, winner of this year’s Partners in Preservation contest and also one of our National Treasures, is definitely the latter.

From the light streaming through stained glass windows and bathing the interior in a rainbow glow to the fantastical creatures that adorn the outside, National Cathedral is a photographer’s dream. Every time I visit I discover something new. And no wonder: There are 112 gargoyles, the last completed in 1987, and more than 3,000 grotesques and other architectural carvings.... Read More →

[Sitings] Gaylord Building: Gateway to History

Posted on: May 18th, 2013 by Mame McCully 1 Comment

 

The Gaylord Building in Lockport, Illinois, a Site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers visitors a chance to explore the history of the Illinois & Michigan Canal which linked Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River. 

Just 45 minutes from downtown Chicago, the Gaylord is the gateway to the I&M Canal National Heritage Corridor. There, visitors can explore the building's canal exhibits or have a meal in the Public Landing Restaurant located inside the historic building.

If you're not in town to experience the fun in person, go canal-side with this week's slideshow instead!

Don’t miss this interesting landmark — make it your first stop in Lockport and then continue through the town which offers a host of events throughout the year. Coming soon is the 10th annual Cruisin’ Lockport Classic Car Show.

Deer Lodge, Montana’s Rialto Theater Rises from the Ashes

Posted on: May 17th, 2013 by David Robert Weible No Comments

 

Historic Photo of the Rialto Theater in Deer Lodge, Mont., c. 1942. Credit: Rialto Community Theater, Inc.Ccollection
The Rialto Theater in Deer Lodge, Mont., c. 1942

It’s often said that small towns enjoy an enhanced sense of community; they are places where neighbors work together, help one another, and pitch in for the common good. Nowhere does that seem to be truer than in Deer Lodge, a tiny town of 3,400 located an hour and a half southeast of Missoula, in western Montana.

Since 1921, Deer Lodge's Rialto Theater has sat at the heart of the town, and as the only auditorium in the area, hosted events from rotary talent shows to weekend movies. In 1995, with the National Register-listed theater deteriorating and its ownership no longer able to maintain it, members of the community banded together to form Rialto Community Theater, Inc., a nonprofit that would run the theater and lead a restoration project.

By 2006, the organization had poured more than $100,000 into upgrading the theater. Then, disaster struck.

... Read More →