Historic Preservation in Alaska

1
Historic Preservation in Alaska

• Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring,
  Reconstructing our Past for the Benefit of the
  Future

2
What is AAHP?

• AAHP was incorporated as a 501(c)(3)
  non-profit organization in 1982. AAHP is
  dedicated to the preservation of Alaskas
  prehistoric and historic resources.
• Historic Preservation provides a vital link and
  visible reminder of the past, emphasizing the
  continuity and diversity of Alaska.

3
What does AAHP do?

• AAHP aids in historic preservation projects
  across Alaska and monitors and supports
  legislation to promote historic preservation,
  serving as a liaison between local, statewide,
  and national historic preservation groups (NTHP).
  AAHP also publishes a quarterly newsletter and
  holds educational workshops for the public and
  historic preservation professionals.

4
AAHP has ten members on its Board of Directors

• They are Architects, Historians, Art Historians,
  Archaeologists, and educators
• AAHP has over 100 active members from all over
  the country

5
Who does AAHP assist?

• AAHP partners with and advocates for local
  non-profit historic preservation organizations,
  such as the Iditarod Historic Trail Alliance, the
  Friends of Nike Site Summit, and community-based
  historical societies.

6
How can AAHP help?

• AAHP serves as a consulting party for the Section
  106 process. AAHP also manages Alaskas Ten Most
  Endangered Historic Properties Grant Program.
• AAHP annually gives out an Individual Lifetime
  Achievement Award and an award for outstanding
  work in historic preservation.

7
Who is AAHP affiliated with?

• AAHP is the statewide partner of the National
  Trust for Historic Preservation in Alaska and is
  also a member of the Coalition for Full Permanent
  Funding of the Historic Preservation Fund.

8
What is the National Trust for Historic
Preservation?

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation is
  a national, privately funded non-profit
  organization supported by more than 250,000
  members. For 60 years, they have helped people
  protect, enhance and enjoy the places that matter
  to them. Preservation has an important role to
  play in community revitalization, urban planning,
  rural and public lands policy, and much more.

9
What is the Section 106 Process?

• It is the review of any project funded,
  licensed, permitted, or assisted by the federal
  government for impact on significant historic
  properties. The agencies must allow the State
  Historic Preservation Officer and the Advisory
  Council on Historic Preservation, a federal
  agency, to comment on a project. The Alaska
  Historic Preservation Act contains a provision
  similar to Section 106 which mandates that any
  project with state involvement be reviewed in a
  similar manner.Courtesy of the Alaska
  Department of Natural Resources, Division of
  Parks and Outdoor Recreation, Office of History
  and Archaeology website

10
What is the Coalition for Full Permanent Funding
of the Historic Preservation Fund?

• The Coalition for Full and Permanent Funding for
  the Historic Preservation Fund is comprised of
  national, statewide, tribal, and local
  organizations and agencies, and businesses who
  support securing full permanent funding for the
  Historic Preservation Fund.
• The HPF was established by Congress in 1976 and
  modeled after the Land and Water Conservation
  Fund. The HPF provides dedicated funds to support
  the programs and activities identified in the
  National Historic Preservation Act. Programs that
  recently received funding include the State
  Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic
  Preservation Offices, and grant programs such as
  Save America's Treasures and Preserve America.
  Although the HPF is authorized at 150 million
  annually, Congress typically only appropriates
  one-third to one-half of that amount each year.

11
What is the Ten Most Endangered Historic
Properties Program?

• AAHP identifies Alaskas ten most endangered
  historic properties each year in an effort to
  increase public awareness, and advocacy for,
  those properties. The list is announced each
  year in May, nationally recognized as Historic
  Preservation Month. AAHP administers a matching
  grant program in conjunction with the Ten Most
  Endangered List.

12
AAHPs Ten Most Endangered Grant

• Individuals or organizations whose historic
  properties are named to the Ten Most Endangered
  List in a given year are eligible to apply for
  assistance with preservation projects planned for
  the following year. Grants are distributed for
  use in stabilization, pre-construction, or
  construction activities focused on the
  preservation of endangered properties. This
  program is modeled after the NTHPs 11 Most
  Endangered Grant.

13
NTHPS 11 Most Endangered 2010

• America's State Parks State-Owned Historic
  Sites
• Black Mountain, Kentucky
• Hinchliffe Stadium, New Jersey
• Industrial Arts Building, Nebraska
• Juana Briones House, California
• Merritt Parkway, Connecticut
• Metropolitan AME Church, Washington, DC
• Pågat, Guam
• Saugatuck Dunes, Michigan
• Threefoot Building, Mississippi
• Wilderness Battlefield, Virginia

14
AAHPs Nominated Ten Most Endangered 2010

• Battery Magazine (402) Dutch Harbor NHL
• Churchill/Cotter Homestead Cabin Palmer
• Chief Kashakes House Saxman
• Totem Row Saxman
• Inlet Trading Post Homer
• Colony Project Warehouse Palmer
• Totem Square Sitka
• Sage Building Sheldon Jackson College Sitka
• Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall Sitka

15
AAHPs 2009 Ten Most Endangered Historic
Properties

• Community Hall, St. George Island
• Holy Assumption Orthodox Church, Kenai
• Attu Battlefield
• St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Juneau
• Wireless Transmitter Site, Government Hill
• Eagle Historic District
• Colony Project Warehouse, Palmer
• 4th Avenue Theatre, Anchorage
• Victor Holm Homestead, Kasilof
• Sheldon Jackson College, Sitka

16
AAHPs 2009 Grant Winner

• St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Juneau
• Matching grant award of 4000 will help stabilize
  the foundation and (hopefully) restore the belfry

17
Work to be done!
18
Work to be done!
19
How do we approach preservation?

• AAHP incorporates the philosophies of the
  National Trust for Historic Preservation along
  with technical guidance of the National Park
  Service and the State Historic Preservation
  Office to evaluate each building or site
  individually for the best possible approach to
  interpreting that building or site. Four
  approaches to preservation most commonly used
  are
• Preservation
• Rehabilitation
• Restoration
• Reconstruction

20
HOMEWORK! Rehabilitation or Restoration?
21
What do we preserve?

• Preservation is NOT just about protecting
  buildings! Archaeological sites, oral histories,
  art, clothing, music, literature, film all
  things made by man can be preserved (or
  conserved) for posterity, if it is deemed
  SIGNIFICANT as representing the human social
  fabric.

22
What do YOU hope to preserve?
23
Culture?
24
Architecture?
25
Art?
26
Military History?
27
Textiles?
28
History of Transportation?
29
Aboriginal Skills?
30
History of Government? Or the Recent Past?
31
Geneaology? Tribal History?
32
History of Education?
33
What can YOU do?

• We all bring our own interpretations of what
  should be preserved, and why. What we all DO
  have in common, however, is that we all hope to
  continue our traditions into the future, or at
  least have them remembered, after we are gone.
  There are many tools and resources available to
  achieve this today, taking many different forms.
  I hope I helped you understand some of them
  today, if you were not already aware of them.

34
Thank you for your time!
35
All images courtesy of

• The Anchorage Museum of History and Art
• The Alaska State Library Collection (VILDA)
• UAs Museum of the North
• The Seward Community Library Association
• The University of Alaska Archives and Manuscripts
  Department
• Alaska State Museum, Juneau