National Trust for Historic Preservation

05/30/2026

This month, Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for recognizing and celebrating the finest historic hotels from across the United States, announced The 2026 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Most Magnificent Gardens list.

From New England to Death Valley National Park, the destinations on this year’s list represent some of the nation’s most magnificent and diverse landscapes and gardens.

Many of the hotels feature extensive grounds designed by renowned landscape architects, like Frederick Law Olmsted, while others keep apiaries to ensure their gardens thrive.

More than a few hotels recognized adhere to a seed-to-table or garden-to-table philosophy, growing their own vegetables and herbs next door to their signature restaurants and bars.

Explore the hotels and plan your next visit to a magnificent garden:

Our historic hotels and resorts offer unique accommodations that capture the essence, elegance, and style of timeless American history and culture. Book today!

05/30/2026

11 Days of 11 Most: Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, New York

At the Wesleyan Chapel in 1848, approximately 300 people gathered for the first formal convention in the United States dedicated to the rights of women. Here, the Declaration of Sentiments was drafted and signed, a foundational document modeled after the Declaration of Independence that asserted “all men and women are created equal.”

Women's Rights National Historical Park (WRNHP) reflects this push to expand the definition of equality in the United States. Through its assembled properties, the site connects the early fight for women’s rights and autonomy to the continuing pursuit of civil rights, human rights, and economic justice.

In addition to the Wesleyan Chapel, the WRNHP comprises four sites in Seneca Falls and Waterloo, New York, including the homes of three 19th-century reformers -- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann M’Clintock, and Jane Hunt.

Today, a lack of funding threatens these crucial pieces of American heritage. According to a 2025 infrastructure fact sheet released by the National Park Service (NPS), the park faces over $10 million in deferred maintenance and repairs, including restoration needs at the 1847 Elizabeth Cady Stanton House, the 1843 Wesleyan Chapel, the 1829 Hunt House, Declaration Park, and the Water Wall. Staffing reductions and limited funding have also impacted programming.

Women’s Rights National Historical Park is one of fewer than 15 NPS units dedicated to women’s history out of 433 total park units, making its preservation and interpretation especially important. Ensuring adequate support is needed to help restore historic resources, expand public interpretation, and inspire future generations to continue the pursuit of equality.

The nonprofit Friends of Women’s Rights National Historical Park works closely with the park to provide support for educational efforts and events. In 2027, the NPS plans to invest $1.8 million in an upgraded HVAC system in the Visitor’s Center but additional funding will be needed to support temporary visitor services during construction and address the park’s broader rehabilitation needs.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/ON7w50Z0mi5

05/29/2026

The Nation’s Capital is home to civic spaces that helped define American democracy and whose impact extends well beyond Washington. This Preservation Month, the National Trust is highlighting five places that tell this enduring story.

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁

Just steps away from the United States Capitol Building, the Supreme Court stands as the final arbiter on the law for the United States. Etched above the west facade’s sixteen columns is a promise, one impossible to miss: “Equal Justice Under the Law.”

From 1810 to 1860, the Court met within the Capitol Building in a space now known as the Old Supreme Court Chamber. Pierre L’Enfant did not include a separate building for the Supreme Court in the plan for the capital city. It was only in 1935, following a campaign by former President-turned-Chief Justice William Howard Taft, that the current structure became the permanent home of the Supreme Court, creating a separate physical site representing the equal status of the third branch of government in the landscape of Washington.

This neoclassical building, designed by Cass Gilbert, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Gilbert’s design recalls the form of a Roman temple, with a great flight of broad steps at the entrance. His intention, as stated on the Architect of the Capitol’s website, was to “achieve balance between classical grandeur and quiet dignity, appropriate for the nation’s highest court.” For the people, this entry, as highlighted in the Washington Post, “dramatizes the open access to justice.”

The early Justices, and particularly John Marshall, ensured that the courts, as a coequal branch of the federal government, would serve as a check on executive and congressional overreach. And, since its inception, the Court’s landmark rulings have continued to shape American civic life and identity.

Arguments before the Supreme Court often represent the culmination of years of effort to shift our collective understanding of “Equal Justice Under the Law.” In 1954, the Court’s landmark decision, Brown v. Board of Education, found school segregation unconstitutional, and overturned its earlier 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.

the 1970s, a series of cases before the Supreme Court argued for gender equity, and opinions in these cases led to Congressional action that paved the way for equal opportunity for women. More recent opinions issued by the Court extended those rights to same-sex couples.
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These and other decisions made within this civic landmark have shaped the daily lives of everyone who lives within the United States. For the American people, this building, the demonstrations and press events that take place in front of it, and the deliberations that take place within it, reflect the promise made to all who enter those hallowed halls.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/iAvC50Z5nVE

05/29/2026

11 Days of 11 Most: Tule Lake Segregation Center in Modoc County, California

Tule Lake Segregation Center stands as a testament to the resilience of Japanese Americans who protested and resisted racial discrimination and incarceration during World War II.

Beginning in 1942, the federal government forcibly removed and incarcerated more than 126,000 people of Japanese descent—two-thirds of them American citizens—at sites like Tule Lake. Today, the site honors those who fought to uphold their constitutional rights.

From 1943–46, Tule Lake served as a maximum-security prison for those who protested race-based incarceration by refusing or answering “no” to a government-issued “loyalty” questionnaire. For many, these responses were acts of peaceful resistance against violations of due process.

More than 5,000 incarcerated U.S. citizens later renounced their citizenship under duress, often fearing for their safety. Thousands, including children, were deported to Japan, with many later seeking restoration of their citizenship through lengthy legal battles.

Today, a token 37-acre portion of the site has been designated as a National Monument, but the primary 1,100-acre site is unprotected.

For survivors and descendants, Tule Lake is sacred ground, a place of suffering and remembrance where 331 prisoners died. Yet public access is limited, and facilities are inadequate for larger gatherings.

A rural airfield now occupies 359 acres at the site’s center and plans to construct a large security fence around it threaten to alter this historic setting. The Tule Lake Committee, comprised of survivors and descendants, believes the airfield desecrates this sacred site and is leading efforts to relocate the airfield.

In partnership with the National Trust, APAIHiP, NPCA, Japanese American Confinement Sites Consortium, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and others, the Committee has generated over 38,000 public comments in opposition to the proposed fence.

Additional support and partnerships are needed to ensure that this sacred site, where thousands of American citizens bravely advocated for their rights, is preserved for future generations.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/JWRN50Z0mc3

05/28/2026

Save the Date for THE national gathering of leaders from the preservation community alongside national, civic, business, and community figures from across the nation — the National Preservation Summit, September 22-24 at the National Cathedral in D.C.

During our nation’s 250th anniversary year, this event honors innovative preservationists and invites leaders across the country to carry forward a legacy rooted in America’s most enduring ideals with the theme of "All People Are Created Equal".

The Summit isn't just for preservationists. It's for anyone who believes that where we come from shapes where we're going — and that the places that hold our history are worth fighting for. Together, we will celebrate the enduring power of historic places, engage with the founding principles that shape our democracy, and chart a bold course for preservation’s next chapter.

Through inspiring keynotes and insightful programming, the Summit will explore community revitalization, the interpretation of the past to foster a shared future, and unity through historic places.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity! Registration opens in July.

Mark your calendar and learn more: https://ow.ly/30YO50Z5bu9

05/28/2026

11 Days of 11 Most: The Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama

Once frequented by Civil Rights leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Ben Moore Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama was a cultural refuge for Black Americans living under Jim Crow. The Black-owned hotel created space for the community to assert their humanity, agency, and right to participate fully in American culture and leisure.

The Ben Moore Hotel helps bridge the gap between American founding ideals and lived experiences, reminding the nation that equality requires both resistance to injustice and institution-building rooted in dignity and self-determination.

Built by Matthew Franklin Moore and opened in 1951, the hotel was named after the proprietor’s father, who had been enslaved. It was a hub for Montgomery’s Black community and was listed in the Green Book as a safe haven for Black travelers barred from white-owned hotels.

The building housed a wide set of iconic institutions, including the Majestic Café, the Malden Brothers Barber Shop, and the rooftop Afro Club, which hosted performers including Billie Holiday, B.B. King, Little Richard, and Tina Turner.

Over time, disinvestment, changing travel patterns, and structural racism led to the decline of Black-owned hotels. Now vacant, the building has experienced significant deterioration, including water intrusion.

As conditions worsen, rehabilitation costs rise. Development pressures in the neighborhood pose a more complex threat. While the hotel is located in the historic Centennial Hill Historic District, the building is not locally protected.

In 2025, The Conservation Fund (TCF) acquired the property to prevent demolition. TCF is working with the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery and the City of Montgomery to identify stabilization needs and future uses, which may include reopening the Majestic Café and barber shop, restoring hotel rooms, creating community space, and reviving the Afro Club as a cultural venue.

Revitalizing the Ben Moore Hotel would illuminate its role as a symbol of African American perseverance and enterprise while supporting interpretation of Montgomery’s broader Civil Rights history.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/ZbNf50Z0m8p

05/27/2026

Enhance your knowledge of preservation easements and learn how to use this valuable tool!

During the June 3 in-depth workshop, Appraising Preservation Easements: Navigating IRS Guidelines and Valuation Challenges, the National Trust invites national experts to help you understand the ins and outs of historic preservation easements amid heightened IRS scrutiny.

For more than four decades, historic preservation easements have been a valuable tool for assuring that the best of our past is preserved for future generations. However, in recent years increasing concerns about IRS reviews and potential over-valuation penalties have unfortunately meant that fewer historic rehabilitation projects have considered the bottom-line benefits that donation of a preservation easement can provide.

This program will explore the common causes of those concerns, as well as provide an overview of the "before and after " valuation method and how to spot a faulty appraisal. Understanding the lessons that can be learned from the recent IRS challenges can give preservation organizations the renewed confidence necessary to actively encourage use of easement donations as an important preservation tool.

There is a $50 registration fee for this virtual workshop: https://ow.ly/AmTc50Z3nih

05/27/2026

11 Days of 11 Most: Swansea Friends Meeting House in Somerset, Massachusetts

Recognized as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in Massachusetts, the Swansea Friends Meeting House in Somerset tells the story of early Quaker settlers’ struggle for religious freedom and safety.

Rooted in the Quaker belief of “Inner Light,” emphasizing spiritual equality and universal dignity, the Meeting House became a place where these ideals shaped the abolition movement and expanded women’s roles within the church.

The area of Somerset (once Swansea) was part of the ancestral Shawomet lands of the Pokanoket Tribe, which were sold by the Plymouth Colony to finance King Philip’s War. Facing persecution, Quakers settled here due to its proximity to Rhode Island, where religious freedom was supported.

Built between 1701–1702, with additions in 1742, 1872, and 1889, the Meeting House’s founders influenced the struggle for religious liberty in Massachusetts.

Quaker beliefs in equality also enabled Patience Brayton to serve as an early female minister from 1760–1794. She played a key role in Swansea becoming one of the first Massachusetts towns to abolish slavery and traveled widely to promote abolition.

After the congregation conveyed the Meeting House to the Town of Somerset in 2008, the building fell out of regular use and deteriorated.

In 2017, local residents established the Friends of Somerset Historic Preservation (FOSHP), which took emergency action to stabilize the building and replace the roof. Today, the building remains closed and needs significant rehabilitation and funding.

Exterior repair work funded by the Massachusetts Historical Commission, the Town of Somerset, and private sources is underway, but more than $1 million is still needed to complete restoration, improve accessibility, and add interpretation. Once restored, FOSHP plans to open the Meeting House to the public as a community cultural center.

As part of the proposed Sowams National Heritage Area, activating the Meeting House would promote regional history and tourism while highlighting the Quakers’ role in advancing religious freedom, abolition, and women’s rights.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/9wkf50Z0m2h

05/26/2026

Members of the public have the opportunity to provide input on a proposed Monumental Arch at Memorial Circle on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, near Arlington National Cemetery and along the Potomac River.

The location of the proposed Arch will interrupt the highly significant relationship between the Lincoln Memorial, across Arlington Memorial Bridge, to Arlington National Cemetery and Arlington House.

One of the most symbolic landscapes in Washington, D.C., the vista was designed to represent the post-Civil War reconciliation of the north and south of the United States.

It is because this viewshed carries so much meaning to the country that the National Trust has raised concerns about the proposed Monumental Arch, whose scale, location, and design will disrupt this important visual and symbolic vista.

In addition, the Arch will dwarf the Lincoln Memorial and disrupt the long, open, and uninterrupted viewsheds, overwhelming the entry to Arlington National Cemetery—the hallowed resting place of 400,000 veterans and their families and a powerful reminder of American military sacrifice, selfless service, and national unity, all within sight of the monumental core of the Nation’s Capital.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱!

Your To-Do Checklist:

1. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 about this project to learn more about our concerns. https://savingplaces.org/stories/national-trust-comments-cfa-monumental-arch-5-20-26

2. 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). The deadline for public comments is Wednesday, June 3 at noon ET and we encourage you to submit early. https://www.ncpc.gov/participate/guidelines/

3. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿 to join the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) meeting on Thursday, June 4 at 1:00 PM ET. The proposed monumental arch will be on the agenda and the public can participate either online or in person. https://www.ncpc.gov/review/meeting/

Get all the details at https://savingplaces.org/monumental-arch

05/26/2026

11 Days of 11 Most: Hanging Rock Revolutionary War Battlefield in Heath Springs, South Carolina

On August 6, 1780, a Patriot militia bolstered by Catawba warriors faced British and Loyalist troops at the Battle of Hanging Rock. The fierce fighting revealed the complex alliances, human cost, and unresolved tensions of the American Revolutionary War, particularly around who the Declaration of Independence’s principles of freedom and equality were meant to serve.

At Hanging Rock, neighbors fought over loyalty, land, and self-government, each with distinct stakes. The battlefield continues to reveal the complexities of the Southern Campaign, including the experiences of Native Americans, women, and Loyalists living outside major occupied cities, and broadens the story of the Revolution.

After the fall of Charleston in May of 1780, the British established outposts to restore Royal authority in South Carolina. Hanging Rock was the northernmost of these. Patriot General Thomas Sumter led 800 militia and 40 Catawba warriors against 1,400 British and Loyalist troops.

Sumter’s troops inflicted significant casualties on the British. The battle is considered a Patriot victory, helping boost morale and weaken British control in South Carolina. It also marked the first wartime experience of a 13-year-old Patriot messenger, future President Andrew Jackson.

Today, only a portion of the 600-acre core battlefield has been preserved, leaving much of the site vulnerable. Population growth and development threaten to fragment these core acres.

Funding is needed for land acquisition, park development, and long-term stewardship to create a space where visitors can understand the battle’s complexities while standing in the place where it happened.

A coalition led by the American Battlefield Trust and including the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, South Carolina 250 Commission, South Carolina State Parks, and Friends of Hanging Rock, is working to protect key land and expand public access, including a walking tour and signage.

Their vision is a fully revitalized Hanging Rock Battlefield Park, but additional funding and partnerships remain essential.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/ssAh50Z0lTv