Trust for Architectural Easements

Steven L. McClain, President, Trust for Architectural Easements

President's Message

Historic buildings are renewable resources. With the proper care and maintenance, they can last for generations. Unfortunately, current public policy promotes the expansion of urban sprawl and does little to encourage the rehabilitation of buildings, whether historic or not.

The Pew Center on Global Climate Change estimates that 43 percent of carbon emissions in the United States are attributable to energy used in the daily operation of residential, commercial and industrial buildings, making the building sector the largest source of green-house gases in America. This figure doesn’t include the energy required to build new structures or to demolish established ones.

As a nation, we are reassessing our impact on the natural environment. There’s a waiting list for hybrid cars and alternative fuels are beginning to be more than just political buzz words. Sustainability now factors greatly into our decision-making, impacting what we eat, wear, and drive. Meanwhile, the buildings that we spend most of our time in at work and home actually have the largest environmental impact of all, and it’s time that we do something about it.

The Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program was originally conceived to sustain and protect our nation’s cultural heritage. Now we know that there are also environmental and sustainability benefits to historic preservation easements.

In this issue of Columns, we identify practical approaches to immediately reducing energy costs related to cooling and heating historic buildings. We also take you on a tour of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon Cultural District and profile a c. 1710 farmhouse in Stow, Massachusetts, that is protected by a historic preservation easement held by the Trust.

As always, I encourage you to contact us for more information about the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program. To place a historic preservation easement on your residential or commercial property prior to the end of the calendar year, be sure to contact us at your earliest convenience.

Best wishes,

Steven L. McClain
President, Trust for Architectural Easements

Volume 2.3 - October 2008

In this issue of Columns, we profile a c. 1710 farmhouse in Stow, Massachusetts, that is protected by a historic preservation easement held by the Trust. We discuss the preservation success of Harlem's Mount Morris Ascension Church, show how we can get children excited about architecture, and we follow the Architectural Ambler on a tour of Baltimore's Mount Vernon Cultural District. Don't miss our tips on how to improve the energy efficiency of your historic home!

Volume 2.3 - October 2008
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Volume 2.2 - June 2008

In this issue of Columns, we shine the spotlight on New York City's last horse auction mart, discuss historic window repair with Alison Hardy, the owner of The Window Woman of New England, and describe the experiences of our Trust staff who volunteered with Camp Hope, working on a house in St. Roch, New Orleans. Also, don't miss the Architectural Ambler's walk through Brooklyn's historic Park Slope neighborhood!

Volume 2.2 - June 2008
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Volume 2.1 - February 2008

In this issue of Columns, we focus on architectural historians and the broad roles they play with regard to historic preservation. We interviewed architectural historians and preservationists in different fields - historic landmarks commissioners, independent researchers, and state historic preservation officers. One of our interviewees even provided us with an abridged insider's tour of Art Deco New York, highlighting some of the City's great buildings of that era.

Volume 2.1 - February 2008
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Volume 1.2 - September 2007

In this issue of Columns, we revisit what it means to be historic in Boston's Beacon Hill district. We also discuss slate roof repair and maintenance; did you know that slate roofs can last between 60 and 200 years? The rowhouses at 322-344 East 69th Street is one of New York City's smallest National Register Historic Districts. We profile it in this issue. Finally, take a stroll through Beacon Hill in the Architectural Ambler.

Volume 1.2 - September 2007
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Volume 1.1 - July 2007

In this debut issue of Columns, we discuss Green Building and Historic Preservation, the Preservation Success at Chicago's Historic Mather Tower, the Declaration of Wall Street as a National Register Historic District, and we take a walking tour of Washington, D.C.'s National Mall in the Architectural Ambler.

Volume 1.1 - July 2007
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