2019 Giving Tuesday

We ask for your assistance frequently, but on this #GivingTuesday we really want to place emphasis on why we are here! At Missouri Preservation, we strive to carry out our mission of preserving place and community for future generations of Missourians. But what does that mean exactly?

PLACE and COMMUNITY refer to our historic resources — architectural, cultural, and more.

To achieve this goal, Missouri Preservation focuses on three areas: Advocacy, Education and Assistance.

ADVOCACY: To save our historical resources, Missouri Preservation has divided our advocacy efforts into three areas. The first is supporting the Historic Preservation Tax Credit, both federal and state, which is a pivotal tool that has assisted in the preservation of over one thousand historic resources in Missouri. Well-known rehabilitations that utilized the historic preservation tax credit include the Brick River Cider Company in St. Louis and Kemper (Hy-Vee) Arena in Kansas City. Both of these buildings were presented with a 2019 Missouri Preservation Honor Award, our second area of advocacy. Part of advocating for historic resources is showing the world that these historic places have value and can have new life again. With our annual Honor Awards Ceremony, we recognize individuals, written works and preservation projects that exemplify a commitment to historic preservation. On the flip side of this is our annual Places in Peril campaign, instituted to bring awareness to endangered historic resources around the state. By advocating for these places, we hope to save them from issues like demolition or neglect. In 2019 we were able to recognize the Henry Blosser House in Malta Bend, listed as a Place in Peril in 2014, for its miraculous restoration. Dr. Arthur & Mrs. Carolyn Elman were presented with a McReynolds Award (one of our Honor Awards) for their outstanding efforts in saving one of our Places in Peril. Without ADVOCACY, how can we raise awareness?

EDUCATION: Missouri Preservation cannot handle saving Missouri’s historic resources all on our own. By educating the public on the importance of preservation and teaching them ways to preserve, we are creating a larger network of protectors for Missouri’s history! At our annual conference, held this year in St. Joseph, attendees had the opportunity to learn about a variety of ways they could promote preservation in their own community— like UnCommon Character’s social media posts with historic postcards— as well as ways to get involved with the preservation themselves, such as carrying out a historic structures report to assess the condition of a historic building. Throughout the year Missouri Preservation staff is also available to travel to communities to educate on topics such as the historic tax credit or bolstering the local economy through heritage education.

ASSISTANCE: While we’re a small staff of two, we have a lot of connections. We want to do what we can to assist those that call us seeking help with their preservation projects or their own advocacy efforts. Our Preservation Resource Directory is a list of preservation professionals from a variety of categories across the state. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Give us a call! Somewhat new to our website is sharing historic properties that are for sale, information on the National Register of Historic Places, and links to helpful technical preservation guides from the National Park Service. We strive to be a resource for all things preservation-related in Missouri!

We would not be able to continue our mission without the help of our generous members, donors, and sponsors. Please donate to our cause or consider extending your involvement by becoming a member of our organization!