News Release

October 21, 1999

Save America's Treasures Shines Spotlight on Chicago’s Robie House, Chess Records, and Town of Pullman

WASHINGTON, D.C. — First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will visit three of Chicago’s most important — and threatened — cultural landmarks on Oct. 27 and 28 to draw attention to their plight and their inclusion in the Save America’s Treasures program. Save America’s Treasures is a public-private partnership of the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation whose goal is to increase public awareness about the need to protect America’s diverse cultural heritage and encourage support for local preservation projects. As honorary chair of Save America’s Treasures, Mrs. Clinton has led two Treasures tours and several regional visits to more than 30 historic sites in 18 months.

A masterpiece of the Prairie style, Wright described the 1909 Robie House as "the cornerstone of modern architecture."

In Chicago, the three historic sites are Robie House, widely recognized as one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most innovative and imaginative architectural designs; Chess Records Office and Recording Studio, the creative home for many of America’s legendary blues artists; and the town of Pullman, the nation’s first planned industrial community built by rail car magnate George M. Pullman and site of the famous Pullman Strike of 1894.

"These historic landmarks are tangible evidence of Chicago’s contribution to America’s rich cultural heritage in the areas of architecture, music, labor and industrial development," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust, which is celebrating its 50^th anniversary this week, and co-chair, with Susan Eisenhower, of Save America’s Treasures. "It is important that we do all we can to support the community’s efforts to secure the future of these treasures."

Since the formation of Save America’s Treasures in 1998, the program has generated nearly $37 million in private support for restoration projects nationwide, including the Smithsonian’s Star Spangled Banner, the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco, Southwest Pieta in Albuquerque, N.M, Thomas Edison’s Invention Factory in West Orange, N.J., Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez, Colo., and the Harriet Tubman Home in Auburn, N.Y.

In another effort to increase support and public awareness, Warner Bros. Records, Inc. has released a commemorative CD entitled, Sing America: A Celebration of America and Its Music, featuring favorite patriotic and regional music from such well-known artists as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Cher. Net proceeds from CD sales will be used to establish the Fund to Save America’s Treasures at the National Trust.

The National Trust, a private, non-profit organization with more than 270,000 members, is dedicated to protecting the irreplaceable and provides leadership, education and advocacy to save America’s diverse historic places and revitalize its communities.

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