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Historic preservation is the act of maintaining and repairing existing historic materials and the retention of a property's form as it has evolved over time. When considering the United States Department of Interior's interpretation: "Preservation calls for the existing form, materials, features, and detailing of a property to be retained and preserved. This may include preliminary measures to protect and stabilize it prior to undertaking other work--or protection and stabilization may be an end in itself, for example, in an archaeological project".Weeks, Kay. " Telling Historic Preservation Time ," National Park Service, Technical Preservation Service, ''CRM'', Vol. 16, No. 7; 1993. Retrieved 30 March 2007 . Historic Preservation is a tool to save older buildings. HISTORY In England, Antiquarian interests were a familiar gentleman's pursuit since the mid 17th century, developing in tandem with the rise in scientific curiosity. Fellows of the Royal Society were often also Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries. The UK's Ancient Monuments Act of 1913 officially preserved certain decayed and obsolete structures of intrinsic historical and associative interest, just as Modernism was lending moral authority to destruction of the built heritage in the name of progress. The UK's National Trust began with the preservation of historic houses and has steadily increased its scope. In the UK's subsequent Town and Planning Act (1944), and the Town And Country Planning Act 1990 , steps were taken toward historic preservation on an unprecedented scale. Plantation , near Alexandria, VA .]] In The United States one of the first major Historic Preservation undertakings was that of George Washington's was the United States' first statewide historic preservation group. The US National Trust For Historic Preservation , another privately funded Non-profit Organization , began in 1949 with a handful of privileged structures and has developed goals that provide "leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize our communities" according to the Trust's mission statement. In 1951 the Trust assumed responsibility for its first museum property, Woodlawn Plantation in Northern Virginia . Twenty-eight sites in all have subsequently become part of the National Trust, representing the Cultural Diversity of American history. In New York City, the destruction of Pennsylvania Station in 1964 shocked many in that city into supporting preservation. On an international level, the New York-based World Monuments Fund was founded in 1965 to preserve historic sites all over the world. Under the direction of (1975); M.S. in Historic Preservation Studies from Boston University (1976); and M.S. in Historic Preservation from Eastern Michigan University (1979). The first undergraduate programs (B.A.) appeared in 1977 from Goucher College and Roger Williams College.''Preservation News'' (Oct 1, 1979) HISTORIC DISTRICTS A Historic district in the United States is a group of buildings, properties or sites that have been designated by one of several entites on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided into two categories, Contributing and non-contributing. Districts greatly vary in size, some having hundreds of structures while others have just a few. The 2007 A similar concept exists in the United Kingdom: a Conservation Area is designated in accordance with the Planning (Listed Buildings And Conservation Areas) Act 1990 in order to protect a zone in which there are buildings of architectural or Cultural Heritage interest. PRESERVING HISTORIC LANDSCAPES The United States led the world in the creation of National Parks , areas of unspoiled natural wilderness, where the intrusion of civilization are intentionally minimal. In addition to preserving the natural heritage, the U.S. Park Service also maintains the National Register Of Historic Places to recognize significant buildings and places, including historic parks, battlefields, National Historic Landmark s, memorials and monuments. Landscapes and sites of outstanding universal value can be designated as World Heritage Site s. A requirement of such designation is that the designating nation has appropriate legislation in place to preserve them. CANADIAN APPROACHES TO HERITAGE CONSERVATION In Canada , the phrase “historic preservation” is sometimes seen as a specific approach to the treatment of historic places and sites, rather than a general concept of conservation. “Conservation” is taken as the more general term, referring to all actions or processes that are aimed at safeguarding the character-defining elements of a cultural resource so as to retain its heritage value and extend its physical life. Two of the primary conservation tools in Canada's 2007 .
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
CAREERS Although volunteers have traditionally engaged in historic preservation activities, since the 1960s, the field has seen an increased level of professionalization. Today, there are many career options in historic preservation. Institutes of secondary education (universities, colleges, etc.) in the United States offer both certificate and degree (, MUP or JD degree. Possible career fields include:
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SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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