2017 was a big year at the Preservation Resource Center, and we are incredibly grateful for the help that we have received along the way to make a lasting impact on our community. With the support of your memberships and donations, we have been preserving, restoring, and revitalizing New Orleans’ historic architecture and neighborhoods for over 40 years.
Last year was action-packed year for the PRC, with the hard work of our staff and volunteers leading to major successes for all of our programs. In 2018, we hope to expand the reach of our programs for even more community impact, and we can’t do it without your help. In New Orleans’ tricentennial year, please consider becoming a member of the PRC or making a tax-deductible donation to help us continue preserving what makes our city so great.
Your gift matters! Here are some examples of what your support helped us accomplish in 2017:
Our Advocacy department fought tirelessly this year to save the federal Historic Tax Credit. The vital preservation incentive was nearly eliminated as Congress debated tax reform legislation. Thanks in part to our efforts to connect Louisianans with their representatives, Louisiana Senators Cassidy and Kennedy stepped forward to save the powerful community redevelopment tool. When tax legislation gained final approval by Congress in December, the bill contained language inserted by Senator Cassidy to retain the Historic Tax Credit.
Our Rebuilding Together program made critical home repairs for 62 elderly and disabled homeowners in New Orleans – 11 of whom are veterans. We installed 5 new roofs, built 78 grab bars, built 6 ADA bathrooms, and repaired 3 community facilities. Thanks to our 1,427 volunteers this year and 16,500 hours of work from AmeriCorps members, many of New Orleans’ most vulnerable residents will be able to continue living safely in their homes without being displaced from their neighborhoods.
Our Operation Comeback program completed the renovation of the former dining hall of Straight University, one of Louisiana’s first Historically Black Colleges. After saving the building from demolition and researching its history, we launched the #StraightUpHistory campaign to document the institution’s history and highlight the contributions of the people who once lived and learned there. The once-blighted structure now stands stately on Claiborne Avenue once again with a historical marker in front to tell its story to current – and future – New Orleanians.
Our Education and Outreach program has created many unique learning opportunities for current and future preservationists. From homebuying and renovation classes to the “My City, My Home” in-school residency, we taught New Orleanians of all ages about the importance of saving our city’s historic neighborhoods and architecture. We also launched the Mid Mod NOLA event series, educating nearly 1,000 people while celebrating the New Orleans’ mid-century modern architecture.