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This Monday, we would like to welcome Hannah Thomas to her first day working as a Preservation Planner for NPS ABPP!
For the last 6 months, Hannah has worked as a Historic Preservation Specialist for ABPP through a cooperative agreement with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers. In her new position, she will be developing grant procedures, coordinating compliance requirements, and assisting applicants interested in ABPP’s Battlefield Land Acquisition, Battlefield Interpretation, and Battlefield Restoration Grants.
Growing up by Valley Forge National Historical Park, Hannah has always had a love of historic landscapes. She translated this into a career by earning a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture, with a Minor in History from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Master’s degree in Cultural Landscapes from the University of Edinburgh. Welcome to your new position Hannah, we are thrilled to have you on our team!
Want to learn more about the grants Hannah will be working with? Check out our website:
https://go.nps.gov/abpp
📸Image: Hannah during a recent visit to Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Have you heard the news?
National Park Service withdraws proposal revising National Register of Historic Places - NPS Regulations
In response to more than 3,200 comments received from the public and preservation partners, the announced it is withdrawing its March 2019 proposal to revise regulations governing the listing of properties in the National Register of Historic Places.
After reviewing public comments and concerns of National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers and National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, federal Preservation Officers, ACHP - Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, National Trust for Historic Preservation and other national historical and archeological associations, the regulations, which are found in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, parts 60 and 63, will remain unchanged.
A notice regarding the withdrawal will be published in the Federal Register in the coming months. Additional information about the proposed rulemaking process can be found at
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/historicpreservation/nhparegs2019.htm
National Preservation Month is a good time to recognize Kentucky's preservation leaders and thank them for the work they do to preserve our heritage! The Kentucky Heritage Council - SHPO has been a trailblazer for preservation since its founding in 1966, the same year the Ntn'l Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) was passed, the Ntn'l Register of Historic Places was established, and Mrs. Ida Lee Willis, then widow of former gov. Simeon Willis, became Ky's first State Historic Preservation Officer.
The KHC has collected data on more than 100,000 historic sites in all 120 counties; listed thousands of properties on the Ntn'l Register (KY ranks 4th nationally in NR listings); developed the nation's first Main Street Program; researched and recorded more than 19,000 archaeological sites; administered hundreds of federal and state historic rehabilitation tax projects; and led the country in African American initiatives—KY was the 1st state to conduct surveys of Rosenwald Schools and the 2nd state to establish an African American Heritage Commission.
An agency of the state's Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Heritage Council's leadership, partnerships and collaborations are vital to the Commonwealth. Their many accomplishments and ongoing work continues to benefit Kentuckians, enhancing communities through revitalization, economic development, heritage tourism, affordable housing, job creation, environmental conservation and quality of life.
THANK YOU to the staff and 16 member board for their tireless efforts, dedication and hard work to identify, protect and preserve our prehistoric resources, historic buildings, heritage sites and cultural resources!
Photo: Kentucky Heritage Council staff gather for a group photo during the 50th anniversary of KHC's founding, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the National Register of Historic Places, 19 December 2016.
KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet National Trust for Historic Preservation National Register of Historic Places - NPS The Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation Landmark Association Kentucky Main Street Renaissance Covington Kentucky Trust for Historic Preservation FRANKLIN COUNTY TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION James Harrod Trust, Inc. Vital Sites Boyle Landmark Trust Preservation Alliance of Owensboro-Daviess County Inc Visit West KY National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers Preservation Action Main Street America
Ever seen a grave house? KHC's Environmental Review Coordinator Jenn Ryall writes about them for National Preservation Month, specifically the "Little" Grave Houses in Lawrence County's Hay & Sparks Cemetery, recently surveyed by descendant Gary Hay. "Although my primary role is Section 106 review," Jenn writes, "during the pandemic, I spent some of my weekends helping Gary, who initially reached out to our office with an interest in restoring his family’s grave house in Lawrence County. In the course of our calls and e-mails, and in teaching him to complete a survey form for KHC's Kentucky Historic Resources Survey, I learned about the architecture and Appalachian folkways of grave houses, referenced a source that the late, much-missed KHC archaeologist Bill Huser gifted me, and made a new friend. Since then, Gary has initiated a t-shirt fundraiser, raised sufficient funding to restore the foundation of his family’s Little Hay Grave House and likely the Little Sparks Grave House, and connected with unknown relatives due to an article Big Sandy News recently published featuring the grave houses and his fundraiser. When his survey form for LA-129 was complete, Gary responded, 'Your comments kept me focused and gave me the drive to pursue to the finish. A BIG THANK YOU! My heart is full of joy!' Truth being, this didn’t just involve me – several KHC staff members helped with this effort. I feel lucky every day to have colleagues who truly care not just about the places, but about the people who care about the places that matter." See
https://bit.ly/2RM02k1 KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
It's ! And today another staffer, Lisa Thompson, shares a personal story about growing up with a love of Kentucky history - and how that has brought her full circle to her position as KHC's National Register of Historic Places - NPS Coordinator, working to tell the full story of all Kentuckians KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet Kentucky Tourism National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
Join us on Monday May 24th at 12pm ET for our Virtual Congressional Briefing! Preservation Action hosts this briefing alongside the House Historic Preservation Caucus and will feature leading national policy experts from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Main Street America, and the National Trust Community Investment Corporation. Register for free today!
http://bit.ly/PMBriefing21
Have you ever stumbled across petroglyphs and wondered about their past-who put them there, what do they represent, and how can we preserve them for future generations? Scattered across the West Desert you might run into petroglyphs that are over 6,000 years old! Archaeologists at the BLM Salt Lake Field Office and Utah State Historic Preservation Office are working together to document and preserve these important resources. Learn more at go.usa.gov/xsuFA
Bureau of Land Management U.S. Department of the Interior National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
May is – and KHC’s Executive Director & State Historic Preservation Officer Craig Potts starts us off in style with a shoutout to Derby weekend and greetings from Berry Hill Mansion in Frankfort, administered by the KY Division of Historic Properties/Finance and Administration Cabinet, who have been great stewards. As Craig notes, Berry Hill holds special meaning for him personally and professionally, as historic places do for so many of us. Watch for fun social media posts throughout May from staff and commission members highlighting favorite historic places, a celebration of Kentucky Main Street Week May 9-15, and opportunities to learn from staff about tax credits and other topics. And share your favorite historic places with us using the hashtag KY Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers Preservation Kentucky
Today on during , we'd like to thank our community of partners! ABPP's work would not be possible without the help of many organizations, groups, and individuals. One organization that we’d like to shout-out is the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO). NCSHPO is a nonprofit organization who helps ABPP coordinate with State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs), in order to carry out our preservation mission.
One area where NCSHPO provides valuable assistance to ABPP is with the Section 106 review and compliance process. Under Section 106 of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), each federal agency must identify and assess the effects its actions may have on historic properties. Section 106 is critical as it ensures nothing of historic value will be lost, and it guarantees that the historic site will be preserved and thoughtfully cared for. As part of the National Park Service, ABPP's grants for historic battlefields require compliance with Section 106, and NCSHPO provides crucial assistance in fulfilling that responsibility.
What else does the NCSHPO do? Providing assistance to ABPP is only one aspect of their work to support historic preservation. To learn more about their other preservation partnerships, check out the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers!
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