President's Column
Having just returned form the National Preservation Conference in the Twin Cities, (St. Paul/Minneapolis) I came home with good news that "Preservation Matters in the United States." At last Historic Preservation is main stream and we are no longer that "red headed step child" vying for attention from an uncaring public. Communities throughout our country are seeing the importance of saving our National Treasures from the past so that future generations can experience a different age.
I also attended sessions in which I learned some important basics for getting out our message that: "Historic Preservation is important to our entire community". Marketing this message is an essential part of preservation and we must remember that in today’s age there is a very crowded market place filled with many messages. As the non-profit organization that is the advocate for saving our historic structures and neighborhoods, we must continue to keep that message in the head lines and know that it is the ongoing mission of Historic Tyler.
We are fortunate at this time since the citizens of Tyler have recently spoken and said that historic preservation is a high priority in our current Tyler 21 Plan. Now, we as an organization need to continue to work with the City to see that good historic preservation principles are being followed in our older neighborhoods and on our historical structures. Without historic preservation we will be robbing today’s Tylerites as well as future generations of their heritage.
During the conference I heard several phases that I think are worth sharing with you:
- Historic Preservation is not just about sites and places, it is about people.
- Preservation is forever!
- Historic Preservation is the ultimate in recycling.
- The greenest building is the one that’s already built.
- The neighborhood was destroyed by vandals in coats and ties.
- Historic Preservation is the Art of a City.
Finally I would like to encourage all who are interested in historic preservation to attend the National Preservation Conference whether you are a Historic Tyler board member or just an interested citizen. It is a great way to learn about the nuts and bolts or preservation, to see what other cities are doing, and to just have a good time. So put Tulsa on your calendar for next year in October!
Ellen Musselman, President