ACHP - Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Meet ACHP summer intern, Annie Cerria! Annie is a J.D. candidate at Tulane Law School, concentrating on cultural heritage law, with a B.A. in Classical Studies and International Relations from the University of St Andrews, where she served as a senior editor of the St Andrews Law Review. She brings impressive experience from International Institute for the Unification of Private Law - UNIDROIT's headquarters in Rome and the New Orleans City Attorney's Office, where she worked on historic preservation regulations.

Through her internship with the Office of General Counsel, Annie will update the ACHP's Section 106 case law book, conduct legislative history research on the National Historic Preservation Act, and assist in reviewing ACHP regulations. This work aligns with her passion for connecting heritage preservation to the safeguarding of human rights.

We continue our tour of America’s historic sites on our with a visit to Grinter Place State Historic Site in Muncie, Kansas.

The home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1857 on eight acres of land overlooking the Kansas River. The house was acquired by the State of Kansas in 1971 to preserve its extensive involvement with early Kansas Territorial/Statehood efforts. Moses Grinter operated the first ferry on the Kansas River to help troops cross the river from Forts Leavenworth and Scott. His is the oldest house in Wyandotte County.

Grinter Place is open for tours April through October, Wed. to Sun. https://www.kansashistory.gov/15857

Kansas Historical Society KSHPO - Kansas State Historic Preservation Office Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City KS

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture, and society.

In Washington, D.C., the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum combines a state-of-the-art museum with a historic synagogue building, the oldest purpose-built synagogue in the nation’s capital. The Adas Israel congregation, made up predominantly of families of German descent, dedicated the building in 1876. When the congregation moved to another location in 1908, the building was used for a variety of purposes, including a barbecue restaurant. The building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was moved two times around the neighborhood until the third and final time in 2019 to where it currently lives at 3rd and F Streets NW. Now, people can tour the historic structure when they visit the museum, which is open Wednesday through Sunday. https://capitaljewishmuseum.org/

Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum

For our final Wednesday of National Historic Preservation Month, Lynne Richmond, ACHP Communications Officer, tells us about her unforgettable experience at Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, Missouri.

“One of the more unique National Parks in the U.S., Gateway Arch National Park is located in downtown St. Louis, MO, right on the Mississippi River. It was originally established as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After a design competition in the 1940s, construction on the stainless steel arch began in 1963. It was completed in 1965 at a cost of $15 million.

"A component of the design was a tram system inside the arch that has allowed visitors to travel to the very top since 1967. Once you’ve made it the 633 feet to the top, you can enjoy the local landscape through viewing windows. The technology is a combination of what you experience on a ferris wheel, escalator, and elevator; you ride in a cylindrical capsule that rotates 155 degrees smoothly as you ascend. The one-of-a-kind system was designed by Dick Bowser and the tram ride is an exhilarating, slightly scary experience but is an essential part of a visit to the arch, as is the underground museum, where you can learn the history of the area and see a film on the building of the Arch.”

There is still time to register for tomorrow’s Preserve the Past, Build for the Future webinar, Preserving America for the Next Generation: Involving Young People in Preservation, which will take Wednesday at 2 p.m. ET.

Many young people remain unaware of preservation efforts and even fewer see it as a potential career path. Our expert panel will explore strategies for engaging younger generations, the tools that make preservation meaningful across age groups, and how today’s efforts can ensure the survival of America’s heritage for generations to come.

Register here: https://achp.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_DPr88CWNS1e0Xol5x5VBVA #/registration

We are kicking off our summer social media campaign, , today, in Tennessee, where we are visiting the Oak Ridge unit of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Along with Hanford, WA, and Los Alamos, NM, this park preserves the history of three secret communities that ushered in the Nuclear Age. Oak Ridge was once the administrative center of the Manhattan Project during World War II and enriched uranium for the world’s first atomic bomb. At various points, as many as 70,000 people lived and worked there, many of whom were completely unaware they were making an atomic bomb.

Visitors can visit five different museums in Oak Ridge relating to different perspectives on the story of the Manhattan Project. Many of the community centers, churches, guardhouses, and parks established by the wartime community remain today. Park Rangers and volunteers based in the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge organize regular public programs.

The Manhattan Project Oak Ridge Visitor Center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET Tuesday to Saturday and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Learn more: https://www.nps.gov/mapr/planyourvisit/oakridge-tn.htm

Manhattan Project National Historical Park Tennessee Historical Commission

Congratulations to NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Google’s Planetary Ventures, who recently celebrated the completion of the Hangar One rehabilitation project at Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA. The project included the cleanup of toxic chemicals in the massive hangar, which is part of the Shenandoah Plaza Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a Naval Historical Monument and a California Civil Engineering Landmark. The project also is a winner of the California Preservation Foundation's 2026 Preservation Design award, receiving the prestigious Trustees' Award for Excellence in the category of Rehabilitation.

NASA, the General Services Administration, and the ACHP worked together on an agreement to lease the airfield to Planetary Ventures in 2014. The base was built in the 1930s as a Naval Air Station supporting naval airships.

Read more about the project in the ACHP’s 2024 report, In a Spirit of Stewardship: A report on Federal Historic Properties, page 82, www.achp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2024-03/ACHP%202024%20Section%203%20Report%20to%20the%20President_0.pdf

Moffett Field California Office of Historic Preservation

It’s another Wednesday in May, which means our Director of the Office of External Affairs, Ashley Fry, tells us about a historic site of significance to her.

"Growing up in Texas, every student is taught to 'Remember the Alamo!' Built in 1718 in what is now the city of San Antonio, the Alamo was originally a Spanish mission that was later secularized and used as a military garrison and fort. The Alamo played a pivotal role in the Texas Revolution when, in 1836, the Mexican army began a 13-day siege of the fort defended by approximately 189 Texian and Tejano troops. Also inside the fort were the families of many of the defenders and several enslaved people. The Battle of the Alamo ended on March 6, 1836, when Mexican troops killed all of the fort’s defenders. This defeat fueled a surge of Texas patriotism that culminated in a final victory at San Jacinto leading to Texas independence from Mexico.

"The Alamo was an inaugural listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and, along with most of San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015." https://www.thealamo.org/

A major goal of the ACHP is to communicate the value and benefits of maintaining and enhancing historic places for future generations of Americans. As we commemorate National Historic Preservation Month, the ACHP, in cooperation with the Richard H. Jenrette Foundation, has developed activity books that parents and teachers can download to teach children the importance of historic preservation. https://www.achp.gov/initiatives/educational-opportunities

In the 3rd through 8th Grade Preservation Pals Activity Guide, students are guided through a series of fun activities. Through vocabulary and writing exercises, and matching, word search, and other games, students learn the history of historic preservation in the U.S., find out about preservation careers, and why we preserve historic places.

Download the 3-8 activity book here and be sure to share it!https://www.achp.gov/sites/default/files/2025-08/2025%20ACHP%20Preservation%20Pals%20Activity%20Guide%203-8%20250814%20edits.pdf

National Council for History Education

It’s International Museum Day and the ACHP is highlighting the Pittock Mansion, owned by the city of Portland, Oregon, and operated by the non-profit Pittock Mansion Society.

The home was built in 1914 for Henry Pittock, the owner of the Oregonian newspaper, and his wife, Georgiana. They lived in the home for four years until their deaths. It remained in the family until it was put up for sale in 1958 and sat vacant for several years. It was damaged in a hurricane, and then purchased by the city after a fundraising campaign to save the home by the citizens of Portland. Since 1965, it has operated as a house museum and was later listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to touring the beautiful home and outbuildings, there are historical exhibits honoring Portland’s diverse history. https://pittockmansion.org/our-story/history/

Photo Credit: Library of Congress, Carol Highsmith