PHILIPSBURG- Philipsburg Borough was recently notified that it has been designated as a Preserve America Community.
Preserve America is a White House initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the initiative include a greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities. Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States, is the Honorary Chair of Preserve America.
This program recognizes and designates communities, including neighborhoods in large cities, that protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization, and encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs. Since the program began, Bush has designated more than 500 communities (including nine neighborhoods) as Preserve America Communities in all 50 states and one U.S. territory.
Communities which have received the designation are eligible for grant funding. Preserve America grants are designed to support a variety of activities related to heritage tourism and innovative approaches to the use of historic properties as educational and economic assets. This matching grants program began Oct. 1, 2005. These grants are intended to complement the bricks and mortar grants available under the Save America’s Treasures program, and fund research and documentation, interpretation and education, planning, marketing, and training.
Preserve America is a White House initiative in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; the U.S. Departments of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Education; the National Endowment for the Humanities; the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities; and the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. To learn more click here.