Written by Pat Lally
Ronald Martin, Robert Patterson, and Mark Martin at the Woolworth's counter during the second day of the sit-in on February 2, 1960. (Photo: Library of Congress)
When President Obama sent his Budget Request up to Capitol Hill on Monday, he effectively placed much of the preservation community in defense mode with the most significant funding cuts since the 1980’s. At the very same time, 310 miles to the south in Greensboro, North Carolina, preservationists were cutting the ribbon to the new International Civil Rights Center and Museum. The restoration of this 1929 former Woolworth’s building, where exactly 50 years ago the Greensboro sit-ins of the civil rights movement began, was made possible in part through a Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grant – a program now proposed for elimination in this Budget Request.
Projects like this make me realize why I originally got involved in historic preservation 24 years ago, and why the fight to preserve our heritage is far from over. The International Civil Rights Center and Museum is more than just an old Woolworth’s building and lunch counter designed to house historic exhibits and artifacts. It is a place to witness, to experience, and to discuss how to effect social change in our own nation and around the world. A half century ago, this place stood as a reminder of segregated life in the South. Today, it stands as a monument to the power of human courage and its ability to change society. As I mentioned in an entry I posted on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I don’t remember segregation, but I live in a formerly segregated city. The preservation of places like these makes what I’ve read in history books tangible, real, and alive.
In 1993, Woolworth’s closed and the building was going to be torn down. Local preservationists collected 18,000 signatures to save it and to redevelop the site into a museum. Like many preservation and rehabilitation endeavors, the International Civil Rights Museum project was fraught with difficulties, and raising funds to complete it was tough. The SAT grant of about $150,000 came at a critical time for the museum, and called local, regional, and national attention to the restoration efforts. While the total project cost was $23 million, the early SAT grant helped leverage the remaining 98.5% of the funds needed to open the museum.
This is the beauty of SAT; for a comparatively minor federal investment, millions over the government’s share in non-federal and private funds were raised.
And talk about unlocking the economic power of preservation. This one project created over 150 jobs – about 100 for construction and about 50 in exhibit fabrication/design. The effect in downtown Greensboro was similar to what happens on Main Streets all across the country. The initial building rehabilitation of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum has spurred many other job-producing revitalization developments nearby. It has also fostered a growing market for heritage tourism.
Over the next several weeks, Congress is going to respond to the President’s Budget Request, and the appropriations committees will be developing their bills to fund the government in fiscal year 2011. The National Trust for Historic Preservation and its partners are mounting a national grassroots campaign to let the House and Senate know how relatively small investments in programs like SAT, Preserve America, and National Heritage Areas reap big benefits in cultural value, job creation, and economic revitalization.
We’re going to begin next week by asking folks to contact their Members of Congress in opposition to eliminating and cutting vital preservation programs. We’re going to ask preservationists to meet with their federal elected officials – either at home or in Washington during Historic Preservation Advocacy Week – and ask that funding be restored as Congress develops its response to the President’s Budget Request. Will you pitch in? It is not too late to join us in Washington, and we’d love to know if you get the chance to talk with your Members of Congress at home. And, as we build the case for preservation funding, if you have examples of preservation projects like the museum I described above, please share those with us by leaving a comment below.
Fifty years ago, four students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University initiated a daily sit-in at the once-segregated Woolworth’s counter in Greensboro. These students, those who joined them, and others around the county, were part of a movement that changed the face of this county. Preservationists should get a lot of inspiration from them as we prepare to fight a Budget Request that does little to recognize the value of preserving our heritage.
Now, for next week at a glance:
Jobs Bill – The Senate is hoping to bring a jobs bill to the floor next week. This should be the first part of a series of employment stimulus measures. We are making the case to include broad energy efficiency retrofit incentives for home and commercial property owners. We are also trying to amend the historic rehabilitation tax credit to provide a boost in the credit for making historic building more energy efficient.
Appropriations – As the appropriations process moves forward, we are planning a major grassroots campaign to oppose budget cuts in valuable preservation programs. It will start with a letter from National Trust President Richard Moe to House and Senate appropriators. Check out developments on PreservationNation.org.
Civil Rights Trail Bill – We are making a push to build support for Senator Burris and his National Civil Rights Trail Bill by meeting with Senate staff to request co-sponsorship. Check out National Trust President Richard Moe’s letter supporting the bill and requesting a hearing – an important step in getting the bill passed.
Pat Lally is the congressional affairs director for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Stay tuned for a behind-the-scenes look at how preservation policy is made through his weekly posts from the Hill.
