American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation are partnering to distribute $3 million and engage the public in preserving New York City’s neighborhoods and historic places. The program, called Partners in Preservation, is New York City’s first citywide preservation effort powered by social media asking the public to vote on its favorite historic places.
From April 26 to May 21, 2012, the public can vote for their favorite of 40 historic places representing all five boroughs competing for $3 million in grants. These places include icons and small treasures, ranging from museums to public parks to religious institutions to historical homes and monuments. The results will be announced May 22, 2012.
Anyone with access to the Internet can vote. Consumers can vote once per day, every day, from April 26 until May 21 for the same site, or for different sites. And they can follow vote tallies in real time.
There are three ways to vote:
PartnersinPreservation.com: Register, immediately begin selecting favorite historic places, and vote.
Facebook: Log on to www.Facebook.com/PartnersinPreservation to learn more about historical places throughout the city, choose a favorite site, and vote for the project that most deserves funding.
Mobile devices: Visit www.PartnersinPreservation.com on a mobile device and be directed to log in with either a Partners in Preservation account or Facebook account.
The community will distribute up to $1 million in grants from American Express to the top four historic places that receive the most votes.
American Express, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and a special advisory committee made up of New York civic and preservation leaders will review the public’s votes along with each site’s monetary and preservation needs to determine how the rest of the $3 million in preservation grants will be awarded.
Launched in 2006, Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awarded $6.5 million over a six-year period toward preserving historic places throughout the U.S.
American Express renewed its commitment to Partners in Preservation in 2010 by pledging $10 million toward the program over five years.
Through this partnership, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation to preserve America’s historic and cultural places.
Through Partners in Preservation, American Express has contributed to preservation programs in Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, Seattle and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The Partners in Preservation program is a way for the public to learn about rich heritage sites and the value of historic preservation.
Local community preservation is a linchpin in New York City’s neighborhood economic development and the city’s economic vitality and growth.
New York City historic sites in every borough – both the familiar and the obscure – are part of the fabric of the city, and make New York City an exciting place to live, work and play.
New York City’s historic and cultural heritage sites foster pride among New Yorkers and those connected to these places.
Public support for New York City’s historical and cultural places is a way to support community and neighborhood economic vitality.
Partners in Preservation expands on American Express’ commitment to New York City.
American Express has been funding New York City landmarks since it helped support the building of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal in 1885.
Since then, American Express has supported a variety of New York City sites, including major funding to aid downtown New York following September 11, 2001.
Nationally, American Express champions the power of local enterprises in driving local community economic vitality through its support for Small Business Saturday.
Forty historic New York places representing all five boroughs have been announced as finalists competing for $3 million in grants through Partners in Preservation, a collaboration between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The City’s first-ever citywide preservation effort powered by social media will allow the public to vote online for the preservation projects most important to them. Through May 21, 2012, New Yorkers, and anyone who loves New York, will help give away up to $1 million in grants by voting at www.PartnersinPreservation.com or www.Facebook.com/PartnersinPreservation.
Participants can vote once a day, every day, for the same site or for different sites. The top four vote-getters, to be announced May 22, are guaranteed to receive grants for their preservation projects. A Partners in Preservation advisory committee of community and preservation leaders, will select sites that will receive the rest of the $3 million in grants.
“I am delighted that Partners in Preservation has chosen New York City this spring,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "Preserving the 40 sites, historic gems in all five boroughs, will help save the places that matter to people. Historic preservation is a key in neighborhood development, as well as expanding economic vitality and sustainability. Historic buildings help define the personality of our city and draw residents, tourists and entrepreneurs.
“I urge all New Yorkers and anyone who loves New York to vote every day, from today through May 21, for the preservation projects most important to them to help determine which will get the largest of $3 million in grants from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.”
“American Express has called New York City home since 1850, when the company opened its first storehouses in lower Manhattan along with stables to shelter the horses that powered our freight-forwarding business,” said Kenneth Chenault, chairman and CEO of American Express. “As long-term New Yorkers, we have a special interest in helping to ensure that future generations can enjoy the historic buildings and landmarks that help preserve our neighborhoods and our rich cultural heritage.”
“Partners in Preservation has a strong track-record of mobilizing local preservationists, so it’s fitting that this year the program is in a city that personifies grassroots preservation,” said Stephanie Meeks, president, the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Since its inception, the program has not only raised awareness about some of the nation’s most treasured historic sites, but also empowered local preservationists across the country to take action in their communities. Everyday citizens’ preservation efforts are critical to saving places that are important to us all, retaining the character of communities and expanding economic vitality.”
The campaign kicked off with the announcement of the sites at an event held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art which was headlined by singer and actress Katharine McPhee. Ms. McPhee was on hand to perform the Frank Sinatra classic “New York, New York” with an interactive 3D hologram backdrop of the competing sites.
To encourage voting, a “Preservation Station” vehicle will travel around New York City throughout the voting period, giving New Yorkers the opportunity to get their photos taken against the backdrop of their favorite sites and have those pictures projected onto buildings. To find out where the “Preservation Station” will be, follow @PartnersinPres and @AmericanExpress on Twitter.
On May 5-6, the 40 sites will host an open-house weekend for the public to visit and cast votes. Admission will be free or discounted and sites will be campaigning for votes with rich programming providing details and background on their histories. Foursquare users who follow the National Trust for Historic Preservation and check-in at select historic places across the U.S., including any of the 40 Partners in Preservation sites, during the voting period can earn the Preservation Nation badge to show their support of preserving New York’s iconic historic places.
The 40 historic places in New York City competing for the $3 million in grants are:
Alice Austen House Museum, Staten Island
Apollo Theater, Manhattan
Astoria Pool, Queens
Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, Bronx
Brooklyn Public Library, Central Library, Brooklyn
Brown Memorial Baptist Church, Brooklyn
Caribbean Cultural Center, Manhattan
City Island Nautical Museum, Bronx
Cleopatra’s Needle, Manhattan
Coney Island B&B Carousell, Brooklyn
Congregation Beth Elohim, Brooklyn
Duo Multicultural Arts Center, Manhattan
Ellis Island Hospital Complex, Manhattan
Erasmus Hall Campus, Brooklyn
Federal Hall National Memorial, Manhattan
Flushing Town Hall, Queens
Gateway National Recreation Area, Brooklyn
Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center, Brooklyn
Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan
Helen Hayes Theatre, Manhattan
Henry Street Settlement, Manhattan
High Line, Manhattan
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Manhattan
Japan Society, Inc., Manhattan
Jefferson Market Library, Manhattan
Louis Armstrong House Museum, Queens
Lower East Side Tenement Museum, Manhattan
Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center, Bronx
Museum of the City of New York, Manhattan
New York Botanical Garden, Bronx
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society of Rosebank, Staten Island
Queens County Farm Museum, Queens
Rocket Thrower, Queens
Rossville African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Staten Island
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Manhattan
St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery, Manhattan
Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor, Staten Island
Tug Pegasus & Waterfront Museum Barge, Brooklyn
Weeksville Heritage Center, Brooklyn
Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx
About Partners in Preservation
Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, awards preservation grants to historic places across the country. American Express has committed more than $15 million to Partners in Preservation, helping historic sites in six cities to date, which includes preservation projects in San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Seattle and Saint Paul/Minneapolis and has engaged more than a million people.
Through this partnership, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation seek to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of historic preservation in the United
States and to preserve America’s historic and cultural places. The program also hopes to inspire long-term support from local citizens for the historic places at the heart of their communities. For more information, visit Facebook.com/PartnersinPreservation or PartnersinPreservation.com, or follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/PartnersinPres.
About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Historic preservation has long been the hallmark of American Express’s involvement in the community, reflecting the company’s recognition of the importance of cultural sites and monuments as symbols of national and local identity, and the role that their preservation can play in attracting visitors and revitalizing neighborhoods. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, foursquare.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/companies/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.
About the National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
The big news is that the City Island Nautical Museum, which is run entirely by volunteers, was selected with 39 other historic sites in New York City, from a pool of 500 candidates, to compete for the grant money. The museum is up against some large organizations, including the NY Botanical Garden, the Intrepid, and the Guggenheim Museum, but is determined to succeed, since the museum needs to replace the front steps in front of the landmarked PS 17 building in which the museum is located. Go to www.partnersinpreservation.com to vote, today and every day until May 22, 2012.