National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 - Early Development

Early Development

Preservation is a rather early development in America. Although there was no national policy regarding preservation until 1966, efforts in the 19th century initiated the journey towards legislation. One of the earliest efforts of the preservation movement occurred around the 1850s when George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon was in shambles. His nephew attempted to sell it to the federal government for $200,000, but no one bought it. To prevent further destruction or conversion to a resort, Ann Pamela Cunningham created the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association to fight for this house. After establishing the first group promoting preservation efforts, they raised the money to acquire the property and protect it from ruin. Due to their efforts, not only does this house stand to represent the nation and the birth of independence, but it also, “served as a blueprint for later organizations.”

In 1906, an act was passed on the behalf of the nation’s history and land. President Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act that “prohibited the excavation of antiquities from public lands without a permit from the Secretary of Interior.” It also gave the president authority to declare a specific piece of land a national monument, therefore protecting it from scavengers and proclaiming national identity.

In 1916, the Department of Interior established a new entity known as the National Park Service, the nation’s first agency to regulate and manage public space, including the national monuments. “Over the past fifty years the NPS has acquired more than 26,000,000 acres (110,000 km2) of land, including not only the great chain of parks preserved for their natural beauty and value, but an extraordinary variety of historic buildings, monuments, and sites.”

By 1935, Congress formed the Historic Sites Act that established a national policy for preservation and permitted the Secretary of Interior to create programs on behalf of preservation efforts. Historic American Building Survey (HABS), one of the established programs, provided jobs for architects, engineers, and surveyors who suffered from the Great Depression era. They were to record, document, interpret, and survey historic properties. The Historic Sites Act, also, organized the national parks under the National Park Service, which created the foundation for the future development of National Register of Historic Places. Although the Antiquities Act and Historic Sites Act were major stepping stones for the preservation movement, it did not create a public “national awareness.”

On October 26, 1949, President Truman signed the National Trust for Historic Preservation act “to facilitate public participation in the preservation of sites, buildings, and objects of national significance or international interest." In addition, the bill enforced public participation in preserving and protecting the sites, buildings, objects of national significance in American history.” Initially, the National Trust for Historic Preservation did not provide funds for preservation projects. Today, they are able to offer funds for planning and education, providing a plethora of information, techniques, and methods to assist people in applying preservation locally.