SAVING
AMERICA'S TREASURES
On October
22, 1999, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was honored for her hard
work in helping to protect America's cultural history. The event was
held at the historic National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. and
was hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. This event
also marked the National Trust's 50th anniversary.
The First
Lady has been the honorary chairperson of "Save America's Treasures"
and it is for this work for which she was honored. More than 1,000 people
attended the event in support of the First Lady and to celebrate the
50th anniversary of the National Trust.
Richard
Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation said,
" 'Save America's Treasures' has found a most effective and articulate
champion in its honorary chair, Hilary Rodham Clinton. She has helped
us realize how important it is to take stock of who we are as Americans
and consider what we want to carry into the next century."
"Save
America's Treasures" works to identify and rescue symbols of American
tradition that define us as a nation. These symbols include documents,
artwork, maps, journals, and historic buildings. A good example would
be preserving the Declaration of Independence. # The National Trust
for Historic Preservation is an organization that devotes its time to
protecting things in American history that they consider irreplaceable.
The National Trust is an organization with over 270,000 members. The
mission statement for the National Trust reads as follows: The National
Trust for Historic Preservation, chartered by Congress in 1949, is a
private, nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable.
It fights to save historic buildings and the neighborhoods and landscapes
they anchor.
An example
of a place that is protected by the National Trust is Brucemore in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa. Brucemore is a Queen-style house on a 26-acre estate.
Brucemore has 21 rooms and gives people a picture of how the rich people
lived back in the 1880's. Brucemore is visited by thousands of people
every year who enjoy various activities on the grounds of the estate
such as music, theater and garden walks. # Overall, the work of "Save
America's Treasures" and the National Trust allow us to enjoy a piece
of history in the present day.
