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Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 2 INTRODUCTION While United States of America is relatively young compared to many countries around the globe, preserving its
short history has become a priority of city governments across the nation. For many cities, young and old, small and large, historical preservation is an integral part of city management.
Since maintaining and encouraging growth is an important concept to many city officials, preserving the past is sometimes a difficult task for individuals working in city historic preservation
offices. For example, it is hard to argue that a certain amount of funding should be spent on restoring a two hundred year old building, rather than on repairing a strip of badly damaged
roads. After investigating city policies on historic preservation in Boston, Massachusetts, San Antonio, Texas and College Station, Texas, it became clear that all three cities face
similar obstacles despite the disparity in age and size, both in terms of land mass and and population (see Appendix A). The purpose of this paper is to examine how historic preservation
officials in these three cities, each from a different time and geographic region, succeed in preserving their past. CITY POLICIES Boston, Massachusetts Incorporated as a town in 1630,
Boston is one of the oldest, continually inhabited settlements in the United States. While it is one of the oldest cities, Boston is also considered one of the larger U.S. cities with
a population of nearly 600,000 (US Census Bureau 2009). Boston’s perspective on historic preservation is different from most cities in the United States because of its status as being
the focal point for the rising anti-British sentiment during the colonial period. Boston has nine “locally designated historic districts” that are run by volunteer commissions formed
by neighborhoods, non-profit organizations and the Boston Landmarks
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 3 Commission (BLC). On its website, the BLC suggests that “perhaps more than any other American city, Boston has a wealth of
historic cultural resources” (Boston Landmark Commission 2009). The BLC works in conjunction with the local neighborhood commissions and has labeled over 7,000 properties as historic
landmarks. Each neighborhood commission determines the rules and regulations for both designating new historic landmarks and modifying the exteriors of historic buildings in each district.
The BLC is a subsidiary of the Boston City Environment Department, which reports directly to the mayor (Appendix B). The Environment Department’s mission is to “enhance the quality of
the air, water and land and the integrity of its architecture and historic resources” (City of Boston Budget Management 2009). On the state level, the BLC collaborates with the Massachusetts
Historical Commission (MHC) to preserve sites that are vital to the culture of the state. On the national level, the BLC works with the National Register of Historic Places that works
to preserve sites vital to the history of the United States. There are over 10,000 properties registered nationally and the BLC is responsible for administering to all of them (Boston
Landmark Commission 2009). Ellen Lipsey, the Executive Director of the BLC for the past 17 years, believes that working in historic preservation “affords a seat at the table regarding
planning and development decisions that shape Boston” (Lipsey 2009). One common criticism is that historic preservation is too strict in allowing new business development and too lenient
in granting historic landmark status. Other groups feel that the BLC is too lenient on businesses and too strict in designating sites historic landmarks. The BLC addresses these issues
by ensuring that both sides of the argument present their case in front of the district’s respective commission. Lipsey says that historic preservation operates in a very public forum
(2009) 2009) and offers a way for the average
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 4 citizen to be active in government. This is supported by the opportunities citizens have to serve on the commissions of the
historic districts. Katie McLaughlin, the Assistant Survey Director for the BLC, firmly believes that as long as the BLC allows all interested parties an opportunity to speak, whether
they are for more stringent or lenient preservation laws, then the BLC “has struck the right balance” (McLaughlin 2009). McLaughlin states that “the BLC and local historic district commissions
emphasize that preservation manages growth and change appropriately to its historic context, it does not prevent change” (McLaughlin 2009). Currently, the BLC is working on designating
two more historic districts, one preserves the industrial zone which houses the first major factories in Boston, and the other preserves the remaining streetcar suburbs. The latest district,
the Fort Point Channel Landmark District, was designated a historic district by the BLC and approved by Mayor Thomas Menino in early 2009. The Aberdeen Historic District is outlined
in Appendix F. The Massachusetts Historical Commission is giving the BLC a one-time grant to work in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts – Boston to form a collections
and management policy and database. The Massachusetts Historical Commission will also appropriate funds for the BLC to complete its survey of the cultural resources in the Beacon Hill
neighborhood (City of Boston Budget Management 2009). Again, the major conflicts arise when new businesses look to develop these areas. However, Lipsey and McLaughlin believe that the
government, through the BLC, offers a way to mediate the conflict between neighborhood associations and special interests groups (2009). Furthermore, Lipsey believes that local government
has the right to “keep its city beautiful” and cites early preservation case law to back her claims (2009). San Antonio, Texas
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 5 Upon mentioning the city of San Antonio anywhere in the United States, people immediately associate it with the Battle of
the Alamo. Yet, according to Anna Glover, who serves as the planner for the San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation, there is more to the city than a single battle in 1836. Glover
explains that the city is unique because of “its age, the number of different cultures that settled and developed the area, the number of historic events that took place [in San Antonio],
and the fact that it was the largest city in Texas until the early 21st Century,” (Glover 2009). Additionally, San Antonio was built around an urban river, which serves as a life line
for the city, attracting both tourists and businesses from across the nation. The Office of Historic Preservation is located within the Planning and Community Development Department
and is made up of a large, professional staff (Appendix A). Currently the city of San Antonio has 22 historic districts, which are areas made up of “one or more buildings, objects, sites
or structures designated as exceptional or significant historic landmarks or clusters,” (City of San Antonio 2009). An example of a historic district is the King William Historic District,
which is central to the city and includes a large portion of the river walk (Appendix E). Districts are approved by either the city council, or a state or federal authority based on
the guidelines in the San Antonio Unified Development Code. To help facilitate and maintain historic districts and projects the city created the Historic and Design Review Commission.
In accordance with the City Charter, the city council appoints 11 citizens, who are in charge of reviewing all historic preservation projects for the city (City of San Antonio 2009).
Additionally, Glover said, “our office has the opportunity to see and comment on lots of great projects, both privately and publicly funded” (2009). Currently the city is working with
B. Knightly Development & Construction to redevelop the Lone Star Brewery, which was built in 1884. Instead of tearing down the old, vacant building, the Lone Star Brewery complex will
be a
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 6 key feature in the extension of the river walk. It will be transformed into a plaza that includes residential units, recreational
areas, entertainment and shopping. The Lone Star Brewery Complex renovation is a good example of how the city collaborates with private companies to encourage functional historic preservation
projects. One of San Antonio’s greatest challenges is coping with the obstacles of maintaining and expanding historic districts/projects. One of the hardest aspects of Glover’s job is
“working with the public” because it is often hard for people to understand the importance of historic preservation (Glover 2009). For example, Glover states that citizens are mostly
concerned that city historic preservation projects will either cause their taxes to go up or that the city will try to paint their houses a different color. However, Glover states that
taxes will not necessarily go up because the city offers “tax abatement (20% for 5 years) for the city portion of the tax for newly created districts” (Glover 2009). Additionally Glover
emphasizes the city’s attempt to communicate to the public that historic preservation equals both sustainability and economic development and that preserving the past actually plays
a large role in development for the future (Glover 2009). When asked why historic preservation should be the responsibility of city government, Glover explained that “preservation of
a city's culture and history cannot be left up to individuals or non-profits. It is the collective history and so the city is charged to preserve that history for future generations,”
(Glover 2009). Phil Hardberger, the Mayor of San Antonio, pledges on his website to make preserving the city’s history a priority. He believes that “public spaces knit a community together,”
and that preserving the city’s past is an integral part of city management (Hardberger 2009). College Station, Texas
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 7 According to Anne Boykin, the College Station Heritage Program Coordinator, College Station is one of the few “towns without
a downtown” (Boykin 2009). The city of College Station has a nontraditional layout in that instead of a main strip or a town square, it was built around a university. Texas A&M University
was established in 1876 and the city incorporated 66 years later (Appendix A). As one would expect, this makes every aspect of city management different from that of other cities, especially
in the case of historic preservation. The university holds much of College Station’s history and preserving it is a joint effort between the university and the city. When Boykin started
working for the city in 2005, a historic preservation office did not exist. At that time it was just a website under the Planning and Development Department. Since joining the city staff,
Boykin has played a vital role in turning a few web pages into an actual office, which is currently housed under the Parks and Recreation Department (Appendix D). Until the city’s 50th
anniversary, College Station city officials did not have much policy focused on maintaining its past. Soon after, city officials decided to hold several sessions where they voice-recorded
citizens who personally experienced historic events in College Station. The project, known as the Oral Histories Project, initiated city official’s recognition of the importance of historic
preservation. To improve the quality and reach of historic preservation the city later created a Historic Preservation Committee comprised of citizens from the community. Elected by
the city council to serve a two year term, any citizen is eligible to hold a position on the committee. Boykin calls this “the council charge” and “their job is to promote, preserve
and educate all the good things about historic preservation” (Boykin 2009). According to Boykin, the most difficult aspect of her job is trying to maintain and create new projects projects
with a limited budget. The budget for College Station’s historic preservation office
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 8 is around $15,000 to $20,000 each year (Appendix A). However, most of this (nearly 67%) is used toward the monthly lunch
lectures hosted by the city to educate the public about different historic preservation projects. Another large portion of the budget is spent on printing expenses and on sending representatives
to the annual Texas Historical Commission Conference. “After that, there is very little left over,” Boykin states (2009). Because historic preservation is usually near the bottom of
the priority list in College Station, Boykin created a concept she calls “preservation on a shoestring,” (Boykin 2009). She utilizes as many opportunities as possible to gain free advertizing
in an effort to educate the public about historic preservation. If given more funding, Boykin would spend the money to professionalize the office by bringing in more people and equipment.
She would also allocate much of it toward printing so she could create a mail-out newsletter, as well as brochures to distribute in schools or hand out at conferences. The city council
members, including the mayor, typically support the idea of historic preservation. However, “sometimes it is hard for them to support it publicly,” Boykin says, “because historic preservation
is still considered fluff” (2009). To reach out to council members, Boykin makes sure they receive the monthly electronic newsletter in an effort to keep them informed on upcoming projects.
In an effort to get citizens interested, Boykin found that most citizens do so by looking at the displays at the City of College Station Conference Center and asking questions about
the origins of the various artifacts. She refers to this form of education as “backdoor policies” (Boykin 2009). COMPARE AND CONTRAST At a quick glance, it appears that College Station,
San Antonio and Boston all have relatively little in common, however further investigation reveals that the differences are only skin deep. Their similarities begin with the fact that
each city was first settled not as a city but as
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 9 some other establishment. San Antonio was originally settled as a mission (1718), College Station as a university (1876),
and Boston as a town (1630). Despite early settlements, Boston, San Antonio and College Station were not incorporated into cities until 1822, 1879 and 1938, respectively (Appendix A).
Furthermore, Boston and College Station are similar sizes in terms land area, 46 and 40 square miles, respectively, but not in terms of population, 600,000 and 75,000 citizens, respectively.
San Antonio dwarfs both cities in both categories with a land area of 400 square miles and a population of over 1.1 million (Appendix A). The government plays a significant role in historic
preservation in each city. Because of its central role in the American Revolution, Boston is home to many sites that laid the foundations for the United States of America. Consequently,
there is an active role by the Federal government to aid in its preservation, although it does not typically offer economic incentives (Boston Landmark Commission 2009). San Antonio’s
size and number of historic districts offers a complex challenge in historic preservation. Consequently, there is a large professional staff in San Antonio to support historic preservation.
Contrarily Boston only has a handful of professionals and nine commissions served by volunteers. In fact, the San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation is becoming large and powerful
enough to break away from its parent department Planning and Community Development in San Antonio (Adopted Annual Operating and Capital Budget 2009). Different from both San Antonio
and Boston, historic preservation in College Station is manned by one professional staff member and a few volunteers. City officials from both College Station and Boston would hire additional
professional staff to meet the needs of their respective constituents if they were ever to receive additional funding from their local governments.
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 10 Despite the structural and financial differences among the cities, historic preservation faces similar challenges across
all three. The most prominent criticism each city faces is a reluctance of the public, and even other city officials, to support historic preservation because of a lack of education
regarding its importance. There is a consensus that the respective departments could do a better job of marketing their role and their services to their constituents to educate the public
on the importance of history and most importantly, preserving the city’s culture. There was a strong undertone, that historic preservation is vital to knowing one’s cultural roots. In
all cases, the city officials interviewed for this essay state that public officials within their cities are willing to privately recognize the importance of historic preservation but
publicly cannot because the topic raises little positive public sentiment. Contradictorily, working in historic preservation offers public servants a behind the scenes opportunity to
work on a publicly salient issue, urban planning and development. With more established foundations, San Antonio and Boston each face criticisms that historic preservation is too large
and restricts the ability of developers to modernize the cities. However, both departments respond to this criticism by maintaining that historic preservation leads to sustainability
which fuels economic growth, which ultimately leads to sustainability and continues on a repeated cycle. College Station has thus far managed to avoid this problem, however it is stuck
in a predicament where the city is split between citizens who are willing to recognize the growth potential of College Station and citizens who want College Station to maintain its small-town
appeal and avoid change. Officials from each of the cities insist that historic preservation is not designed to stunt growth and inhibit economic development. Historic preservation is
meant to enhance future growth in each of the cities. Just as Boston has strong ties to the American Revolution and San
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 11 Antonio is synonymous with the Alamo, College Station has Texas A&M University which is rich in tradition and culture. Finally,
and most importantly, officials from all three cities believe that their main function is to serve their constituents and provide the best service possible despite any limitations to
their respective budgets. CONCLUSION Despite large differences in the city demographics and geographic setup, historic preservation faces similar indictments in all three cities. Historic
preservation is seen as a government function that is unnecessary and a mechanism designed to hold on to the past while inhibiting growth. However, officials in all three cities maintain
that that historic preservation provides the means for encouraging smart growth, which leads to greater efficiency in providing government services. Furthermore, historic preservation
offers the public servant a less public avenue in working in urban planning and development, which is sometimes necessary due to the great publicity this policy area receives. As America
continues to age, it will be important that public servants recognize the role historic preservation plays in maintaining its heritage. Funding problems will always exist, but if more
cities adopted a “budget on a shoestring” approach, similar to that of Anne Boykin in College Station, the government will be better able to educate and offer a greater variety of culturally
beneficial services to its citizens. RECOMMENDATIONS From the information gathered on Boston, San Antonio and College Station we have come up with the following recommendations for city
officials working in city historic preservation offices: • Create more educational programs for the public to help them learn about the importance of historic preservation • Create incentives
for property owners through tax abatements and property tax freezes • Encourage more involvement from the state • More money to hire a more professionalized staff
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 12 WORKS CITED 1. Boston Landmark Commission. Boston Landmark Commission. April 26, 2009. http://www.cityofboston.gov/environment/landmarks.
asp (accessed April 26, 2009). 2. Boykin, Anne, interview by Stephanie McMillen and Gregory Rivera. Heritage Program Coordinator, College Station, Texas (March 26, 2009). 3. Budget,
Office of Management and. Adopted Annual Operating and Capital Budget. San Antonio, 2009. 4. City of Boston Budget Management. "City of Boston Budget for Environment and Energy." City
of Boston Government. April 26, 2009. http://www.cityofboston.gov/TridionImages/09%20Environment%20%26%20Energy_tc m1-3896.pdf (accessed April 26, 2009). 5. City of San Antonio. Official
Website of San Antonio. April 9, 2009. www.sanantonio.gov (accessed April 9, 2009). 6. Glover, Anna, interview by Stephanie McMillen. Planner for the Office of Historic Preservation,
San Antonio, Texas (April 9, 2009). 7. Hardberger, Phil. Office of the Mayor. April 9, 2009. www.sanantonio.gov/mayor (accessed April 9, 2009). 8. Lipsey, Ellen, interview by Gregory
Rivera. Director of Boston Landmarks Commission (April 24, 2009). 9. McLaughlin, Katie, interview by Gregory Rivera. Assistant Survey Director (April 23, 2009). 10. US Census Bureau.
US Census Bureau Quick Facts. April 26, 2009. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html (accessed April 26, 2009).
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 13 APPENDICES Appendix A Boston San Antonio College Station Population (based on 2006 Census) 590,763 1,296,682 74,125 Percentage
Growth .3% 11.8% 8.6% Land Area 48 sq mi 407 sq mi 40 sq mi City Government Structure Mayor-Council Council-Manager Council-Manager Number of Historic Districts 9 22 0 Year of First
Settlement Settled as a town 1630 First Mission Established 1718 University Established 1876 Year Incorporated 1822 1879 1938 Location of city historic preservation office Environment
Department Planning and Community Development Department Parks and Recreation Department Historic Preservation Budget $150,000 (estimate) $0.25/person $70,000 $0.05/person $15,000 $0.20/person
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 14 Appendix B This is the Office of Historic Preservation, located within the Environment Department.
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 15 Appendix C This is the Office of Historic Preservation, located within the Planning and Community Development Department.
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 16 Appendix D This is where the Office of Historic Preservation is located, even though it is not actually listed on the organization
chart (within the Parks and Recreation Department).
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 17 Appendix E
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 18 Appendix F
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 19 Interview Transcripts Stephanie McMillen’s Interview with Anna Glover from the Office of Historic Preservation in San Antonio,
Tx 1. What is your job title and how long have you been working in the San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation? Anna Glover, Planner, Office of Historic Preservation since August
2008. 2. What events/interests/career goals lead you to this job? Master's in Community and Regional Planning with certificate in Historic Preservation. 3. Why is historic preservation
important? It's one of those things that most people aren't really aware of. They know a little bit about the history of their town/city/state, but don't understand how the built environment
is an extenuation of our history. The built environment continues to tell the stories of our ancestors when we're gone. A sign in front of a shopping mall explaining the really unique
building that used to be there or event that took place, really doesn't have the same effect as authentic resources that continue to tell a story, with our without on-site interpretation.
4. Why should the city be responsible for historic preservation? Cities often own many historic resources. Also, preservation of a city's culture and history cannot be left up to individuals
or non-profits. It is the collective history and so the City is charged to preserve that history for future generations. 5. What makes San Antonio such a historically unique city? Several
things: its age, the number of different cultures that settled and developed the area, the number of historic events that took place here, the fact that it was the largest city in Texas
until the early 21st Century. The way the City has utilized an urban river, the missions, the archaeological resources, etc, etc. 6. What interesting projects is the city working on
right now? Our office has the opportunity to see and comment on lots of great projects, both privately and publicly funded. The redevelopment of recently vacant areas such as Pearl Brewery
and Lone Star brewery and interesting to watch as they develop. It's always great to see homeowners buy houses in need of restoration and see the end result. The City owns multiple historic
properties. The publicly owned properties are subject to public opinion, for better or worse, and so sometimes the design outcome is altered. The City is working on extending the San
Antonio River both north (Museum Reach) and south (Mission Reach). Expanding the river like a linear park which will tie in to other projects such as the redevelopment of Pearl Brewery
and the redevelopment of an old CPS (electric company) power station. 7. Are there any projects that your office was not able to complete in the past? If so, what were the reasons for
these shortcomings? [No response] 8. What do you like most about your job? What do you like least about your job? working with the public, working with the public 9. What are the most
difficult aspects of historic preservation policy in city government? What obstacles are hardest to overcome?
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 20 Educating the public and other city officials of the importance of historic preservation and how preservation does not exist
in a vacuum. Preservation equals sustainability and preservation also equals economic development, getting those messages across can be a real challenge. 10. What are some of the criticisms
you face when trying to create a historic preservation district/project? How do you respond to these criticisms? People assume it will impact their property valuation and that their
taxes will go up. Taxes won't necessarily go up. The City offer tax abatement (20% for 5 years) for the City portion of the tax for newly created districts and a tax freeze on City taxes
for owners that invest half the value of their properties back into the properties. It's been proven that historic districts retain the value of more so than non-historic districts.
The public often thinks preservation hinders their ability to make changes to the property and and the number one question is "Will you tell me what color to paint my house?". The answer
is no, but it still seems to be the biggest concern. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Gregory Rivera’s Interview with Ellen
Lipsey, the Executive Director of the Boston Landmarks Commission in Boston, Massachusetts 1. What is your official title and how long have you worked for the BLC? Ellen Lipsey, Executive
Director for the BLC for almost 17 years. 2. Why do you work for the BLC Boston is a very rich place for preservation professionals to practice in, and working at the municipal level
for a preservation planning and regulatory commission affirds a seat at the table regarding planning and development
decisions that shape Boston. 3. What projects is the city working on right now? The BLC is currently establishing two new commissions for design review in the most recent historic disticts
--one constitutes Boston's largest collection of industrial buildings and the other is one of the city's earliest streetcar suburbs 4. What do you like about working for the BLC? See
question one above. Also, I have the opportunity to work directly with communities and to have a finger on the pulse of much that is taking place in Boston. 5. What are the most difficult
aspects of historical preservation? Changing preconceived misconceptions about preservation. The BLC and local historic district commissions emphasize that preservation manages growth
and change appropriately to its historic context, it does not prevent change. 6. Why should the city (or government) be responsible for historic preservation? In early preservation case
law it was established that cities have a right to be beautiful (as well as safe, secure, etc). In terms of the structure of government, preservation is part of the planning and permitting
processes that take place in local government. 7. What are some criticisms that you face and how do you respond to them? There are always people who think there's too much regulation
for preservation at the local level and others who think more regulation is needed. As long as the BLC is hearing both sides it sounds like we've struck the right balance. 8. This is
an easy question, why is historic preservation in Boston important? Because, as you know, Boston is a city that has a treasure trove of historic cultural resources in its buildings,
streetscapes and landscapes. Many historic resources in Boston have national significance, several of those were important during the American revolution. Also, Boston is a city of 20
neighborhoods, whose buildings and places
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 21 date largely from the late 19th and early 20th century. Boston has a very intact downtown from the periods after the great
fire of 1872. Boston has one of Frederick Law Olmsted's most beautiful park systems. 9. Finally, if the BLC were to receive any amount of money, what is the first thing you would do
for the department? Hire additional staff and consultants so that we could increase resources provided to constituents. _______________________________________________________________________________
______________ Gregory Rivera’s Interview with Katie McLaughlin, the Executive Director of the Boston Landmarks Commission in Boston, Massachusetts 1. What is your official title and
how long have you worked for the BLC? The title of my position is "assistant survey director," but I am mostly referred to as the architectural historian for the BLC. I have worked here
for about a year and a half. 2. Why do you work for the BLC? I received my masters degree in historic preservation from Columbia University, and had a particular interest in preservation
planning and policy, and in working within the public/non-profit sector. This job allows me to be involved in many aspects of preservation, including survey and research, the designation
process, and review and protection of already-designated buildings and districts. 3. What projects is the city working on right now? We have just completed the designation of the Fort
Point Channel Landmark District; you can find that study report and other related information on our website. We are in the process now of establishing the Commission to oversee the
district. We are also in the process of updating a 30-year-old survey of Boston's Central Business District, in partnership with the Massachusetts Historical Commission (our SHPO). We
are also completing a study report for the Charles River Esplanade, and hope to have a public hearing on this pending designation by the end of May. The BLC is constantly involved in
design review for historic buildings throughout the city, such as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Fenway Park, as well as in our 9 historic districts. Another large portion of
our workload involves Article 85:Demolition Delay, which authorizes the Commission to review proposed demolition of any buildings 50 years old or older (you can find more detail about
this on the website as well). 4. What do you like about working for the BLC? I enjoy getting to work with a wide variety of people and getting to participate in and learn from many projects
throughout the city. We have a rather small staff, which can be frustrating at times, but it has allowed me the opportunity to be a part of many interesting and important activities.
5. What are the most difficult aspects of historical preservation? I think the biggest challenge for historic preservation from the city agency, regulatory perspective is balancing the
overall goals of a government with the goals of preservation. A city tries to do many things for its its residents, such as improving the economy, boosting tourism, addressing accessibility
issues, regulating businesses, and sometimes these things conflict with an idealistic view of preservation. We have to work to make sure the historic resources of the city are protected
while still allowing other goals of the city, and the concerns of its residents, to be met. 6. Why should the city (or government) be responsible for historic preservation? It is very
clear in a city like Boston that the historic resources of the city are a treasure and an asset for the residents of the city, and for visitors from all over the world. They contribute
to the quality of life and the identity of the city, and it is important that the government, be it the city or the state or the federal government, keep those resources safe. I think
that a government agency also ensures an impartiality to historic preservation that can be difficult for a neighborhood or special interest group to maintain, as preservation often touches
on so so many other social and political issues. 7. What are some criticisms that you face and how do you respond to them? I think we face the same criticisms that historic preservation
in general faces -from one side we will hear that we are being too strict, too old-fashioned, trying to freeze time and stop change; from the other side we hear that we are being too
lenient and not protecting everything that should be protected. The only way to respond to these criticisms is to try as an agency to be as fair and as even-handed as possible, and to
follow our own regulations and standards and precedents, keeping preservation and not outside influences as a guide.
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 22 Preservation in Boston is often a very public process, with lots of public meetings, so it also is helpful to identify when
a concern that results in criticism of the BLC actually is not preservation-related, and to help people find more appropriate channels for their concerns (such as zoning, or a neighborhood
association). 8. This is an easy question, why is historic preservation in Boston important? Preservation in Boston is important because the history of the city is central to its identity.
This is true for visitors photographing the Old State House, and for residents living in a South End rowhouse, and for an artist working in a converted warehouse in Fort Point Channel.
As a big city, there is constant development and change in Boston, and without keeping preservation in the forefront of people's minds, these historic assets could be lost. The historic
character of the city, balanced sensitively with change, is key to the quality of life in Boston and its appeal to visitors and residents. 9. Finally, if the BLC were to receive any
amount of money, what is the first thing you would do for the department? The first thing we would do would be to hire additional staff. We continue to add districts and individual landmarks
and other responsibilities for the BLC, at a much higher rate than our staff has grown. Additional resources would allow for more proactive work, such as survey, research, and outreach
and education for the public. Transcript from College Station Meeting Around their 50th Anniversary the city started to acknowledge that they needed to do some kind of historic preservation.
Bought LazerFiecsh to start recording oral histories. Historic Preservation Committee: Started local historic marker program. Committee made up of anyone who wants to apply and are elected
by council to serve two year terms. “Call it the “council charge” and their job is to promote, preserve and educate all the good things about historic preservation.” “We are traditionally
at the bottom of the list and that’s my specialty is, preservation on a shoe string. I live to get as much free advertising as possible. Use TexsAgs to get young people involved. Shoe
string budget.” The city manager hates it when I say this, but College Station is the town without a downtown. We have a very nontraditional layout. As hard as the city planners try
to create a downtown, it is very hard to do that. The university is the center. Campus kids and campus houses are something that not many university towns have. When they started building
the campus, they built houses for faculty on the campus. About 1930-1965 they started moving the houses off the campus. Most of them are in the area along George Bush Drive. Also, the
campus kids: The children of the faculty. They went to school on campus. As CS begins to grow it is becoming easier to emphasize the importance of historic preservation. Landmark commission
is coming in and they have more clout. El Camino Real project: Beginning to bring in heritage tourism to CS, on no budget! This will be a chance to wake the council up to the fact that
they can’t do things on a shoe string budget. ---National Parks Service determined it was a national trail in 2004. Bought a large piece of land out near Bryan for water wells. The prairie
turned out to have a large piece of the trail on it. Going to make it into the “Brazos Swales.” What is a swale? It is the depression that is caused by people, ox carts, stage coaches,
etc. **Look around 56 minutes to get more detail about this project. Also working on a project to expand military history. Museum of the American GI. Veterans park-one mile walking path
with markers along the way. “There are so many things here that involve military history.” Also working on historic markers. In the last year or so, awarded about 8 historic markers
to mostly homes. One African American church that has been here for over 100 years. Exploring History Lunch Lectures-one of the most visible and successful programs. Once a month bring
in a speaker and provide a $5 lunch to people. Also shown on TV. “We have a huge following”
Historical Preservation: Making History by Saving the Past 23 “Funding is tuff. Our budget is around 15-20,000 dollars each year” 2/3 is taken up by the lunch lectures, because we supplement
for that. Have very little left over for printing (2nd biggest expense). Send people to the Texas Historical Commission Conference each year. “After that, there is very little left over”.
Working on writing a grant to bring together Bryan and A&M to help with the El Camino Real project. So Anne is writing the grant –don’t have council approval yet. “Trying to get people
on board is a juggling operation.” Anne is beginning to look into how to get aid from the Texas Historical Commission. –they have many grants, and she is learning how to write one. If
you were given more money, what would you do with it? -Printing: She would like to create a hard copy news letter to mail out, distribute in schools or hand out at conferences. -more
scanners and a color printer -more professionalized -more equipment The mayor has a good background in historic preservation. City is set up as a funnel. If you have an idea you have
to go to the city manager and they choose what gets put on the agenda. Do have people on the council who are very pro historic preservation. I think they all are but sometimes it’s not
popular to promote anything that reeks of art and this is still considered fluff.” Sometimes it is hard for them to support it publicly. To reach out to them, Boykin sends out a news
letter. Goes through the back door by trying to get them interested in a program. Café Eccell was the first dedicated city hall building. Didn’t have our own fire department until the
70’s – just used A&Ms. 1938=> when the city incorporated