Nov. 9, 2011
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History invites Wheeling residents and community leaders to a Nov. 16, 2011, presentation and discussion about the benefits of having property listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.
Beginning at 10 a.m. at the historic West Virginia Independence Hall, 1528 Market St. in downtown Wheeling, National Register Keeper Carol Shull will discuss the educational and economic impact of two programs, “Teaching with Historic Places” and the “Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series.” As keeper, Shull has the authority to list properties and determine their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places, which is the country’s official list of historic places worthy of preservation.
“Teaching with Historic Places” uses properties listed in the National Register to enliven such class subjects as history, social studies, geography and civics.
The online “Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series” supports historic preservation, promotes public awareness of history, and encourages visits to historic places.
Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources.
Architectural Historian Jenny Parker with the National Register’s Technical Preservation Services will discuss the economic benefits of the historic rehabilitation tax credit program. Since 1976, that program has leveraged more than $58 billion in private investment funds to preserve and reuse 37,000 historic properties across the country.
While in town, Shull and Parker also plan to tour the East Wheeling Historic District, Capitol Theatre and the Wheeling Stamping Building in addition to Independence Hall, which is operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
For more information, contact Sara Prior, education and planning coordinator, at (304) 558-0240, ext. 122. For directions to Independence Hall, call (304) 238-1300.
The Division is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. Led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, it brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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