Press Release              Event Date:  May 8, 2017

For further information contact Mary Chrastil, 260-982-0672 nmhistory@cinergymetro.net

NM Historical Society Celebrates Preservation Month

May is National Historic Preservation Month.  In honor of this national celebration, the North Manchester Historical Society will feature a program on preservations efforts led by Indiana Landmarks.  Suzanne Stannis, Director of Heritage Education for the state office, and Paul Hayden, Director of the Northeast Regional Field Office will present “Indiana Landmarks:  Preserving, Revitalizing and Reconnecting.”  The program will be in the Assembly Room at Timbercrest Retirement Center, 2201 East Street, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 8.  It is open to the public at no cost and will be enjoyable for audiences of all ages. 

Founded in 1960, Indiana Landmarks is the largest statewide preservation organization in the U.S.   Indiana Landmarks saves the places that matter to Hoosiers—houses, barns, bridges, churches, schools, downtown districts, and vintage neighborhoods.  Indiana Landmarks is a nonprofit organization, with a main office in Indianapolis and nine regional offices, staffed by professionals who help people save and revitalize historic places. Their primary programs include advice and support, maintaining historic sites, education, recue and rehab of endangered properties, publication of Indiana Preservation magazine, and grants and loans to local preservation groups.

According to Landmarks, historic buildings heighten our sense of place and connect us through the generations, helping us remember what is important in our lives.  By restoring and repurposing historic buildings, they save buildings people will use and enjoy today, adapting vintage places rather than throwing them away, sparing landfills and becoming economic drivers. Historic restorations improve property values, promote tourism, and inject vitality into neighborhoods and business districts.

North Manchester is a town that has always been supportive of historic preservation, and the NM Historical Society is a leading local advocate; the newly restored 1920’s façade on the Center for History on Main Street attests to this dedication.  The town’s successful façade restoration program and the large number of beautifully maintained historic homes are other indications of community interest.  NMHS is especially happy to host this program just two weeks after Landmarks hosted a state-wide historic preservation conference in Wabash.