Hillsborough Named Preserve America Community

First Lady Michelle Obama has designated Hillsborough — along with 28 other communities across the country — as a Preserve America Community.

“Preservation plays a vital role in shaping our town’s best asset, our unique town character,” Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens said. “We have a better future when we’re smart about preserving our past. This award is a testament to the work of Hillsborough preservation advocates spanning decades. This award is also a reminder of the importance to continue that work.”

The Preserve America Community Program is a federal effort to encourage and support preservation and enjoyment of America’s cultural and natural heritage. The program recognizes and designates communities that:

• Protect and celebrate their heritage.
• Use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization.
• Encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through education and heritage tourism programs.

Hillsborough met these qualifications through its local historic district, which is overseen by the Historic District Commission; its Tourism Board grants supporting heritage tourism; and a strong demonstration of a public-private partnership to support economic development through its historic resources.

In a letter to Hillsborough citizens, the first lady wrote:

“President Obama and I are proud of your community and we applaud your achievement. The Americans who came before us built this country on the strength of their hopes, hard work, and perseverance. Now you are using those same qualities to help share our history with today’s Americans and those of tomorrow. By strengthening your community, you are strengthening our country. You are showing that each of us has a role to play in shaping a better future, and we can do it by honoring our past.

With the recent awards, the Preserve America Community Program — which started in 2003 — now has designated 843 communities across the nation and in many overseas U.S. territories as great places to visit and explore. Many of the communities are featured in “Discover Our Shared Heritage” National Register Travel Itineraries, as well as in the “Teaching with Historic Places” curricular materials created by the National Park Service.

The program’s goals include a greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past; strengthened regional identities and local pride; and support for the economic vitality of the nation’s communities.

In addition to Hillsborough, the newly designated communities — by state — are:

• Arkansas — Booneville, Calico Rock
• California — Alameda, Napa, Pasadena, San Francisco, Ukiah
• Florida — Tallahassee
• Georgia — Hawkinsville, Winder
• Iowa — Marion
• Indiana — Fort Wayne
• Missouri — Carthage
• Nevada — Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
• New Hampshire — Portsmouth
• New York — Binghamton
• North Carolina — Asheboro, Hendersonville, Transylvania County, Waxhaw
• Pennsylvania — Durham Township, East Pikeland Township
• South Carolina — Columbia
• South Dakota — Sioux Falls
• Texas — Frisco, George West
• West Virginia — Elkins
• Wyoming — Fremont County

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation administers the Preserve America program with the Department of the Interior, in cooperation with the White House and 10 other federal agencies. For more information, visit www.preserveamerica.gov and www.achp.gov.