Save America's Treasures

July 22, 2002

National Trust Announces Funding for
Valley Forge

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 22, 2002) - The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced today that Save America's Treasures has received $570,000 in contributions and pledges towards the restoration and adaptive reuse of the six Revolutionary War-era buildings at Valley Forge. These funds will allow the Park to open the surviving structures that constitute Valley Forge's primary cultural resource to the public for education and interpretive use, many for the first time in history.

"These buildings are critically important to the Park's story, and to the public's understanding of Valley Forge's historic significance and relevance to Americans today," said Richard Moe, President of the National Trust and co-chair of Save America's Treasures. "They stand as testament to these soldiers' enduring bravery and sacrifice for our freedom."

When the National Trust named Valley Forge as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2000, there was an urgent need to stabilize and halt the rapid deterioration of the Washington's Winter Encampment structures. As a result of the Trust's efforts through Save America's Treasures, almost $700,000 in contributions was raised to more than match the $450,000 SAT federal challenge grant received in 2000. The Phase One stabilization project is now well on its way to completion in December 2002. At the request of Save America's Treasures, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania last week approved a lead gift to kick-off the second phase of the project with a $250,000 grant. Other early contributors to the $8 million goal for Phase II include the Claneil Foundation and the McLean Contributionship.

Although federal funds and fees help to support our National Parks, they are rarely sufficient to meet their enormous preservation and restoration needs. The perpetual struggle for adequate resources is compounded in our National Parks by laws that preclude park personnel from fundraising activities.

Save Americas Treasures at the National Trust is making a major effort to help our parks preserve and protect treasured cultural resources such as Valley Forge that serve as icons of American democracy. Since its founding in 1998, Save America's Treasures has designated 839 official projects and generated almost $53 million for preservation projects across the country, almost $12 million of which has been awarded to projects in our National Parks.

Save America's Treasures is a public-private partnership between the National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, dedicated to identifying and rescuing the enduring symbols of American tradition that define us as a nation. Mrs. Laura Bush serves as the program's Honorary Chair. For more information, call 1-877-TREASURES or visit the Save America's Treasures website at www.saveamericastreasures.org.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable. Recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the Trust provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize communities. Its Washington, DC headquarters staff, six regional offices and 21 historic sites work with the Trust's quarter-million members and thousands of local community groups in all 50 states. For more information, visit the National Trust's web site at www.nationaltrust.org.
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