White House designates Beaufort a Preserve America Community
White House designates Beaufort a Preserve America Community
Beaufort has been designated by the White House as a Preserve America community, a testament to the hard work of the community’s preservation movement and many accomplishments and advocacy of Historic Beaufort Foundation, its board and members, according to a statement by the foundation yesterday.
Preserve America recognizes and designates communities, including municipalities, counties, neighborhoods in large cities, and tribal communities, that protect and celebrate their heritage.
Since the program began in 2003, nearly 800 communities have been designated as Preserve America Communities from throughout the country. Participants come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and one U.S. territory. Newly designated communities are notified by a letter from Mrs. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States.
The letter from Mrs. Obama to the “Citizens of Beaufort” states in part that:
President Obama and I are proud of your community and we applaud your achievement. The Americans who came before us built this country on the strength of their hopes, hard work, and perseverance. Now you are using those same qualities to help share our history with today’s Americans and those of tomorrow. By strengthening your community, you are strengthening our country. You are showing that each of us has a role to play in shaping a better future, and we can do it by honoring our past.
Communities may apply for special designation as a Preserve America Community, which recognizes communities 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.
Benefits of designation include:
* White House recognition;
* a certificate of recognition;
* a Preserve America Community road sign;
* eligibility for Preserve America grants;
* authorization to use the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners, and promotional materials;
* listing in a Web-based Preserve America Community directory;
* national and regional press releases; and
* enhanced community visibility and pride.
Communities in South Carolina that have received the Preserve America Community award are Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Beaufort, Bluffton, Blythewood, Camden, Charleston, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Conway, Dillon, Fountain Inn, Gray Court, Horry County, Lancaster County, Pacolet, Rock Hill, Walterboro and York County.
Click here to read the letter from First Lady Michelle Obama.
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