Washington Trust For Historic Preservation

THE WASHINGTON TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SAVING THE PLACES THAT MATTER IN WASHINGTON STATE AND TO PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE COMMUNITIES THROUGH HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

THE WORLDWIDE PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO IMPACT OUR REGULAR EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING IN 2021 WITH MOST CONDUCTED IN A VIRTUAL FORMAT. VIRTUAL EVENTS INCLUDED OUR ANNUAL VINTAGE WASHINGTON FUNDRAISER IN MAY, OUR REVITALIZEWA CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER, AND AN ONLINE LECTURE AND ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING IN OCTOBER. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD OUR SIVINSKI HOLIDAY BENEFIT IN DECEMBER AS AN IN-PERSON EVENT WITH REDUCED NUMBERS. WHETHER VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON, THESE EVENTS GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE PRESERVATION COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND BRING OUR MESSAGE AND PROGRAMMING TO A STATEWIDE AUDIENCE.OUR LANDMARK HEADQUARTERS, THE STIMSON-GREEN MANSION, RE-OPENED TO LIMITED SPECIAL EVENTS AND TOURS, LEADING TO ATTENDANCE/VISITATION NUMBERS THAT WERE ABOUT A THIRD OF PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. HOWEVER, WE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED OUR MULTI-YEAR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN THAT FUNDED 10 PROJECTS, INCLUDING AN EXTERIOR MASONRY RESTORATION PROJECT IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF 2021. AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, WE PARTNERED WITH THE MASONRY INSTITUTE OF WASHINGTON/INTERNATIONAL MASONRY INSTITUTE TO PRESENT A THREE-PART VIRTUAL WEBINAR ON HISTORIC MASONRY RESTORATION USING THE STIMSON-GREEN MANSION AS A CASE STUDY, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE. BY COMPLETING THIS WORK, WE ARE ENSURING THE ONGOING STABILITY OF THE MANSION FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.ON THE ADVOCACY FRONT, WE HAD A BUSY SCHEDULE IN OLYMPIA DURING A BUDGET-YEAR SESSION FOR THE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE. WE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE WASHINGTON STATE MAIN STREET PROGRAM, ALLOWING THE PROGRAM TO HIRE ADDITIONAL STAFF AND TO INCREASE THE CAP FOR THE MAIN STREET TAX CREDIT INCENTIVE PROGRAM. ADDITIONAL FUNDING ALSO ENABLED US TO LAUNCH AN AFFILIATE CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM WHICH WILL HELP SMALLER TOWNS BUILD THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO JOIN THE MAIN STREET NETWORK. OUR ADVOCACY ALSO ENCOURAGED THE LEGISLATURE TO CONTINUE FUNDING THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORIC PRESERVATIONS CAPITAL GRANT PROGRAMS FOR HISTORIC BARNS, COURTHOUSES, AND CEMETERIES, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME, HISTORIC THEATERS. ON THE FEDERAL FRONT, THE ANNUAL PRESERVATION ADVOCACY WEEK WAS HELD IN MARCH AS A VIRTUAL ACTIVITY. THIS ENABLED MANY MORE GRASSROOTS ADVOCATES FROM AROUND THE STATE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CALL FOR MORE FUNDING FOR SHPOS AND THPOS AND FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAMS AND FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE FEDERAL HISTORIC TAX CREDIT.THANKS TO THE ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDING, THE STAFF OF THE WASHINGTON STATE MAIN STREET PROGRAM GREW FROM TWO TO FOUR STAFF MEMBERS IN SEPTEMBER 2021. THE EXPANDED TEAM LEVERAGES PARTNERSHIPS AND STATE RESOURCES TO OFFER SERVICES TO LOCAL MAIN STREET PROGRAMS IN 66 COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE. IN 2021, THIS INCLUDED THE CREATION OF A PLACE ACTIVATION PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUTDOOR PUBLIC SPACES IN MAIN STREETS FROM COLVILLE TO CENTRALIA. ONCE AGAIN, THE ANNUAL EXCELLENCE ON MAIN AWARDS WERE PRESENTED AS A VIRTUAL EVENT, THIS TIME IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE REVITALIZE WA CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER. OUR COMMUNITY REMAINED VIGILANT IN SAVING THE PLACES THAT MATTER IN OUR STATE. IN ADDITION TO THE ONGOING WORK ON OUR 22 ACTIVE MOST ENDANGERED PLACES CAMPAIGNS AROUND THE STATE, WE HAD SAVES TO CELEBRATE AS WELL. THIS INCLUDED CAMP KILWORTH IN FEDERAL WAY, THE BUSH HOUSE INN IN INDEX, AND THE OLD WOODINVILLE SCHOOL IN WOODINVILLE. WE ALSO CELEBRATED AND PROMOTED (BOTH VIRTUALLY AND IN-PERSON) THE REOPENING OF THE ST. EDWARD SEMINARY IN KENMORE AS THE LODGE AT ST. EDWARD STATE PARK IN MAY 2021. HISTORIC THEATERS ACROSS WASHINGTON WERE ADDED TO THE MOST ENDANGERED LIST, AND WE CONTINUED TO WORK TOWARDS A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION FOR ALL ACTIVE CAMPAIGNS.OUR REVISITING WASHINGTON (REVISITWA) HERITAGE TOURISM WEBSITE SAW THE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH IN MARCH OF A TOUR FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE SITES IN KING COUNTY, CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE BLACK HERITAGE SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON STATE. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE ALSO EMBARKED ON OUR NEXT REVISITWA PROJECT: A JAPANESE AMERICAN REMEMBRANCE TRAIL TOUR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SEATTLES WING LUKE MUSEUM, SET TO DEBUT IN 2022.THE WASHINGTON TRUST WAS ONCE AGAIN SELECTED TO MANAGE THE CAPITAL GRANT PROGRAMS OF THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORIC PRESERVATION (DAHP) FOR THE 2021-2023 BIENNIUM. THIS MEANT CONTINUATION OF EXISTING PROGRAMS FOR HISTORIC BARNS, COURTHOUSES, AND CEMETERIES AND THE CREATION OF A NEW GRANT PROGRAM FOR THE CAPITAL NEEDS OF HISTORIC THEATERS. THE TRUST WAS ALSO SELECTED BY DAHP TO MANAGE THEIR THIRD PLACES GRANTS FUNDED BY A PAUL BRUHN HISTORIC REVITALIZATION GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. THIS GRANT PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE REHABILITATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND FOSTERS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL COMMUNITIES BY FUNDING CAPITAL PRESERVATION PROJECTS FOR HISTORIC SITES USED AS THIRD PLACES, THOSE COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES SEPARATE FROM HOMES AND WORKPLACES. IN 2021, WE CONTINUED THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS OF CREATING A MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE MARITIME WASHINGTON NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA. THIS INCLUDED CONVENING A STEERING COMMITTEE AND NUMEROUS WORKING GROUPS WHO HELPED STRATEGIZE THE NHAS DIRECTIONAL GUIDANCE, KEY FUNCTIONS, BRANDING/MARKETING, INTERPRETIVE THEMES, IMPLEMENTATION TACTICS, AND FUNDRAISING AND FINANCIAL STRATEGIES, AND CONDUCTING PUBLIC OUTREACH ON THESE TOPICS THROUGH A SURVEY, VIRTUAL EVENTS, INTERVIEWS, PRESENTATIONS, AND MORE. THE COMPLETED PLAN WILL CHART THE COURSE AHEAD FOR THIS NEW PROGRAM, WHICH AIMS TO CELEBRATE, MAINTAIN, AND SHARE MARITIME STORIES FROM 3,000 MILES OF OUR STATES SALTWATER SHORELINES. IN 2022, WELL BE WORKING WITH FOLKS FROM ACROSS THE REGION AND OUR PARTNERS AT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE TO REFINE AND FINALIZE THE PLAN.